The Smiths
by Doctorwholuver1234
Summary: Jenny crashed on Earth 25 years ago where she met Jack Harkness and Sarah Jane Smith. During a short stay with Sarah Jane, she goes on the adventure of her lives. But will it be more than she bargained for? Will she ever find her dad?
1. Just the Beginning

**Hey guys. I am attempting a crossover here. Don't laugh, I'm not great, but I'm trying! That counts right? I know the label is Sarah Jane Adventures and Doctor Who, but there's a bit of Torchwood thrown in there too. So tell me how you like it. Reviews help me write faster! Enjoy...**

* * *

The Smiths

Chapter 1-New Beginnings

"Alright. OK, I understand. Fine, I'll tell him." Jenny Smith pulled the cell phone away from her ear and looked up at Jack Harkness, who was standing over her and looking at her with a smile. "Sarah Jane says hi," she informed him.

"Tell her we've still got a job opening for her if she wants it," he replied. Jenny repeated the message into the phone. She listened and pulled the phone away from her ear again.

"She says thanks, but no thanks. Apparently we've got too many guns."

"There is no such thing as too many guns," countered Jack before going into his office.

Jenny turned back to her call with a chuckle. "Hey, I've got to get going. Ok, I will. See you later. Bye." She ended the call with a smile.

Gwen Cooper turned to her young blonde friend. "Who was that?" she asked. She couldn't help but be nosey. Between living in the Hub and not going to public school, Jenny didn't have many friends on the outside.

Jenny chuckled at her friend's curiosity. "Just a friend," she replied simply.

Owen Harper looked over at her. "You've got friends?" he questioned.

Jenny glared at him. "Do you have a death wish? Cause I can make that happen."

Jack walked back over to them. "Hey, no killing Owen unless I say so."

"Then hurry up and say so!" retorted Jenny. Jack shook his head and went back to his office. Jenny trailed close they got to his office, Jenny closed the door behind them. "Sarah Jane wanted to know if I could stay at her house for a week."

Jack looked at her. "Why?"

"She said she's investigating that new drink. That Bubble Shock stuff," she answered.

Jack grunted. "I hate that stuff."

"Me too," replied Jenny. "We're part of the 2% with the wrong taste buds apparently. Anyway, she said she got a bottle of it tested and, that Bane stuff that's in it, she said it was like it resisted being tested. She wanted to know if I could come help out."

Jack nodded. "I suppose that's Ok. But if anything happens here, you've got to come back right away."

"I know, I know," muttered Jenny, walking out of Jack's office.

Toshiko Sato came running through the giant gear door as the lights flashed. "Sorry I'm late," she yelled.

Jenny went over to greet her. "That's Ok, Tosh. Happens to the best of us." Jenny turned around to hang Tosh's coat on a rack next to the door. When she turned back, she was shocked to see Tosh drinking Bubble Shock. "Don't drink that!" she yelled, snatching the bottle away from her.

Everyone turned to look at her. She blushed and muttered, "It's dangerous."

"How's it dangerous?" asked Tosh, taking the drink back. Jenny blushed deeper and was quiet for a minute.

"I don't know! It just is," she retorted. She grabbed the bottle.

"But," started Tosh, taking the bottle, "it's organic."

Jenny took the bottle back again. "So the magic word 'organic' makes it Ok, does it?" She dumped the orange liquid out of the bottle and down a drain in the floor. "You'll thank me later." Tosh glared at her. Jenny sighed. "And I'll buy you a new bottle if it turns out to be fine." She threw the now empty bottle in a trash can and walked to her room. "I'll be packing if you need me," she called.

* * *

Jenny walked in with a big bag. "Jack, I'm ready!" she called. Jack walked out of his office.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming. You got all your stuff?"

Jenny nodded. "I think so."

"A week's worth of clothes?"

"Check," responded Jenny.

"Ear piece?"

Jenny fished it out of her bag and put it on. "Check."

"Sonic?"

She pulled her version of a sonic screwdriver out of her pocket. "Duh."

"Gun?"

Jenny shut her eyes. "I knew I was forgetting something," she muttered.

Jack chuckled and handed her a pistol. "Fully loaded. Your welcome." She took it and put on her holster, putting the pistol in it.

"Thanks. I'll see you guys in a week," she told the others. They said their goodbyes and Jack and Jenny left for Ealing.


	2. Invasion of the Bane

Chapter 2-Invasion of the Bane

_"I saw amazing things, out there in space. But there's strangeness to be found wherever you turn. Life on Earth can be an adventure, too. You just need to know where to look."_

* * *

_"Bubble Shock!" _

The Jackson house was gradually being filled with boxes carried in by a man, Alan. A young girl kneeled on the floor in front of the TV.

"Ah, she's got the telly working, that's the first priority," said Alan. "Plenty to shift. Plenty more boxes. Do us a favor, find the kettle. I'm parched."

"Maria!" a woman yelled.

"Coming!" the girl yelled back.

The girl walked outside to see her mother. "Pass me that lamp, it's quite fragile," Chrissie told the removal men. She turned to the girl. "Maria, the cutlery's still in the boot, go and fetch it. Thanks."

"Living room, love?" asked a man.

"No," responded Chrissie, "that says kitchen. Can't you read? And don't go through the front. Go round the side. I did say. Mind you, not bad."

Maria looked at Chrissie. "Mum. Stop fancying the removal men."

"They love it. Besides, they're getting paid."

"Urgh."

"Cutlery, go on."

As Maria went to the car, an old Nissan Figaro pulled into the driveway of the big old house opposite, on the corner plot. Maria greeted its driver when she got out.

"Hiya."

After getting no response, Maria went upstairs to her bedroom. The removal men brought Maria's bed frame in.

"Put it by the window, thanks."

She looked out the window to see a black van drive up to the house across the road. A blonde girl, who looked about 20 or 25 to Maria, stepped out and watched the car drive away. The girl started to take a step forward but stopped and turned around. She looked up and stared at Maria. Maria gasped and backed up. When she looked back out the window the girl had left.

Maria ran back downstairs and outside to see where the girl had gone. She noticed that the removal van had left. There were still boxes outside the front door.

"Thank you, boys," her father was saying. "Come on."

They went inside to the kitchen. "All done," said Alan. "Congratulations. Our new home."

"Oh," said Chrissie, "look at me. It's nearly six. I'd better be off."

"Can't you stay for tea, mum?" asked Maria.

"Oh, I'd love to, but Ivan's cooking me dinner back home. But you are going to love it, sweetheart. I promise."

"I liked the old house."

"Your Mum wanted the money."

"Now don't start," snapped Chrissie. "This is a much better catchment area. That old place, they were holding you back."

"They were my _friends_."

"Well, you'll get a better catchment of friends. You'll settle in, don't worry." Chrissie kisses Maria and Alan goodbye. "And you," she looked at Alan. "You still can't make a cup of tea."

They walked outside to see Chrissie off. A church bell tolled the hour.

"Oh, Alan, I forgot. Can you give me that check?" asked Chrissie.

"I don't know where my check book is. I expect it's buried in a box somewhere."

"Oh. All right. Well, post it. First thing tomorrow, if you could."

"Sure."

"Angel. Bye, bye! Big kiss!"

Chrissie drove off. Maria waved a sad farewell.

"You and me, eh? Come on.

Maria went back up to her room. She turned on the TV and started unpacking.

_"Bubble Shock. For maximum performance. No added sugar. No concentrate. Bubble Shock. Contains Bane!" _

She turned her TV off and went to bed. At 2:37, a pink light went past her window. She went downstairs, outside and across the road to the back garden of the corner house, where pink light was glowing from an ethereal alien floating in the air in front of the woman who lived there and the girl Maria had seen earlier in the day. The woman had a shield shaped object in her hand, and was smiling. Then the alien flew into the sky. Maria ran back home.

The next day Maria went downstairs to find her dad making breakfast. She sat at the table while the TV played behind her.

_"For maximum performance." _

"How would you know if you were going mad?" asked Maria.

"Ask your mother," responded Alan, "she's the expert."

"I'm going to tell her you said that. But what if you see something you know can't be happening; only it is happening; only you know it can't be?"

The doorbell rang.

"I don't know. Go and ask them."

"That's our first visitors!"

"If it's Angelina Jolie, tell her I'm not interested. Go on."

Maria went and answered the door to a dark girl her own age.

"You moved in yesterday, right?" asked the girl.

"Yeah," responded Maria.

"I saw you. I'm Kelsey. Hiya."

"I'm Maria."

"You got broadband?"

"Yeah."

"Brilliant."

Kelsey invited herself in. Maria walked with her to the living room and Kelsey started scrolling through the DigiLondon channels on the TV. The music ones were all blocked.

"You haven't got music channels?" asked Kelsey. "What's the point, if you haven't got music channels?"

"Dad says it costs," replied Maria.

"Well, nag him. You'll be dead in school if you haven't got music channels. Do you want some of this?" She holds out a small bottle of orange pop; Bubble Shock.

"No, thanks. I don't like it."

"I love it. Do you want to come into town?"

"I haven't got any money."

"That's all right; we'll just get the Bubble Shock Bus. It's free. Every half hour. Come on, get your stuff."

"What? A free bus?"

"Yeah. It takes you to the Bubble Shock factory. You go on a tour, get free samples. Come on. I want to show you Darren. He works in the bike shop. He's uber buff."

"Dad, I'm going out," yelled Maria. She and Kelsey walked outside, Alan following them out.

"You heading off without me?" asked Alan.

"We're going into town," replied Maria.

"Without a proper goodbye?

"Dad." She kissed him on the cheek.

"I'm so shamed for you," said Kelsey.

"Who's your friend?" asked Alan.

"This is Kelsey."

"Did they tell you about the people that used to live here?" asked Kelsey.

"No. What happened?" asked Alan.

"They went mad. Ran away screaming. My mum's friend, Kath Pontin, she lives down there. Said the bloke kept going on about seeing aliens from outer space."

"What sort of aliens?" asked Maria.

"Like it's real. Shut up. Come on, we're going to miss it."

The lady from the corner house went out to post a letter with the blonde girl following.

"Er, hi," greeted Maria. "We moved in opposite. I'm Maria Jackson."

"Hello," said the woman. The girl gave a small wave.

"Hi!" said Alan. "Hello, there. Nice to meet you. I'm Alan. Alan Jackson."

"Er, I hope you're not going to make much too noise," said the woman. "It's just I work from home, and I don't like to be disturbed."

"Okay, nice to be made welcome."

"Sorry. I'm Sarah Jane Smith. This is my niece, Jenny." Jenny waved again.

"See you then," said Kelsey.

"Where are you going, exactly?" asked Alan.

"Bubble Shock factory," explained Maria.

Sarah Jane and Jenny exchanged a worried glance.

"Free bus," added Kelsey. The girls left to go to the bus stop.

"Anyway," started Alan, "I'm sure we'll get along just fine. It's just me and Maria now, making a new start of it. Bit of a divorce and that. Don't worry, it's all been sorted. There's no shouting. So, what kind of work do you do?"

Sarah Jane quickly went to her car, Jenny followed behind.

"Really? Really. Well. Must be fascinating."

He dodged to one side as they drove off.

"Nice to meet you too."

* * *

"There you go," said Kelsey. "You got my number. Don't give it to anyone in Year Eight."

Sarah Jane and Jenny drove past the girls.

"That's the mad woman. Always racing about."

"She's a bit glamorous, though. What does she do?" asked Maria.

"Journalist or something. My mum's friend Kath Pontin says she never has anyone around. Never talks to anyone."

"What about that Jenny girl?"

Kelsey shrugged. "I don't know, visiting family I guess. But, this guy Sakkib once saw her by the station, and she was talking to this big crystal thing, and it _moved_."

"What like a monster or something?" asked Maria.

The garish orange Bubble Shock bus comes around the corner.

"Here it is."

The girls got on the bus when it stopped. There were a lot of free bottles of drink in the luggage area, and balloons tethered to the seats.

"Get on. All aboard for Bubble Shock," said the driver.

"I don't get how this Bubble Shock stuff's supposed to work," said Maria.

"I don't care. It just makes you feel all wide awake, and it tastes fab," responds Kelsey.

"I think it's disgusting."

"You're one of the two percent, then. Doesn't work on two percent of the people, and that's a fact, that is. Anyway, it's organic."

"So that makes it all right then, just the magic word organic?"

"Well, it's natural, and that's good. So there."

Sarah Jane waited for the bus to drive past, and then followed.

"There it is," said Kelsey. "Bubble Shock!"

The remote controlled gates allowed the bus to enter the factory premises. Sarah Jane drove through just in time and parked up out of sight.

"Welcome to Bubble Shock. All visitors must report to central processing. Access beyond the designated area is forbidden."

Sarah Jane's wrist watch computer gave her information.

"I knew it."

"What? What does it say?" asked Jenny. Sarah Jane showed her the watch.

* * *

A young man led the tour.

"Right, welcome to the Bubble Shock Experience. If you'd like to step through the archway. Just a security scan. One at a time. Thank you."

The scan was done with a bright flash. He made marks on a clipboard.

"Security scan in a pop factory?" asked Maria.

"People want to steal the recipe. Come on, it doesn't hurt," said Kelsey. Maria stepped through the archway.

* * *

Maria's brain scan was transmitted to a control panel.

"Today's first lot going through now. Transmitting data to the Archetype in five, four, three, two, one. And transmit."

The figure of a boy under lots of netting jerked as energy passed through him. A woman monitored the procedure.

"Is it working?"

"Oh, yes," the woman responded. "He's almost fully mature. I would even say perfect. Mother will be pleased."

* * *

_"Cargo now departing for mainland Europe. Cargo now departing for Central America. Cargo now departing for central California." _

Sarah Jane tried her sonic lipstick on the CPM switch room door. It unlocked and she opened it to reveal two men in orange overalls.

"Oops."

Jenny snorted. "'Oops' she says!"

Jenny and Sarah Jane were taken to a woman who looked to be a personal assistant or secretary. She called her boss.

"Mrs. Wormwood? We have intruders."

* * *

"Well, dispose of them," said Mrs. Wormwood.

_"One of them says her name is Sarah Jane Smith." _

"Does she indeed? Well, bring them to my office and make them welcome. This should be fun."

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen," started Davey, "boys and girls, welcome to Bubble Shock."

"It's huge," said Maria.

"I've seen it loads of times," said Kelsey.

"Okay, just a quick reminder. If you could turn off your mobile phones. That means all of you. We have extremely sensitive equipment here and the signals can interfere with the machinery. So phones off."

"What's a mobile going to do, make the bubbles go flat?" asked Maria.

"That's enough lip at the back. Just do it. Thank you."

"That's a bit rude."

"I don't care, he's a total muffin," said Kelsey.

"Okay, everyone. This is the main production area. And before we go any further, I'd like to offer you more free samples. Help yourselves."

Almost everyone raided the trolley for as much as they could carry.

"Bubble Shock revitalizes your taste buds and gives you energy morning, noon and night. Only Bubble Shock contains Bane, etcetera. Okay, that's it, keep moving, thank you. Don't touch anything. How many times? Oi." He beckoned Maria forward. "No Bubble Shock?"

"No, ta. I'm one of the two percent with the wrong taste buds."

"Oh. Don't worry, we're working on it. Soon we'll have everyone drinking Bubble Shock. The whole world."

He tossed a bottle of Bubble Shock to Maria.

"I'd rather have a cup of tea."

She threw the bottle back into the trolley.

* * *

Mrs. Wormwood set two bottles of Bubble Shock in front of Sarah Jane and Jenny.

"Thank you," said Sarah Jane. "That's very kind."

"Think of yourself as our guest."

"We weren't breaking in, we was just trying to reach someone in charge. I phoned about a hundred times, but no one would talk to me."

"I've seen the list. Phone calls, emails. Miss Sarah Jane Smith certainly makes her presence felt."

"Do you mind if I take notes?" asked Jenny, pulling a pencil and notepad out of her pocket.

"Not at all. And since you've been so bold, let's make this an official interview."

"And it's Mrs. Wormwood?" asked Jenny.

"That's correct."

"As a matter of fact," started Sarah Jane, "that's in the Bible, Wormwood. The Book of Revelations. At the end of the world, it describes a star falling to Earth and poisoning the waters. A star called Wormwood."

"Fascinating. Shall we move on to business?" asked Mrs. Wormwood.

"I've got contacts in the City. They said it was like this company dropped in from nowhere. And normally it takes years of tests to get approval from the EU to market a new foodstuff. You got it in two weeks."

"All we're doing is satisfying a need."

"Which is?"

"The people are hungry, Miss Smith. For new food, new drinks, new tastes. All the Western world does is eat. All day, every day, eating. They gorge and feast and chew and bite, everything sweet and hot and cold and sticky. Food and drink. Just food and drink, that's the human race, they devour. Who are we to deny them?"

"So you invented Bane?" asked Jenny.

"The Bane in Bubble Shock isn't new. Oh, no. It's very, very old. Come and see."

Sarah Jane and Jenny followed Mrs. Wormwood to a large stand-alone screen with a promotional video on it.

"For all the hype, Bane is completely natural. One hundred percent organic."

"Yes, but organic what?" asked Jenny, replaying yesterday's argument with Tosh in her mind.

"Oh, now, don't be silly. I can hardly give away our recipe."

"I checked with some scientists I know," started Sarah Jane.

"Your social circle sounds fascinating."

"They tried to analyze a bottle of Bubble Shock."

"Oh, what's the point of analysis? It's all chemicals and sweeteners and E numbers. The test of a drink is in the tasting. Have you tried it?"

"Oh, no. Definitely not."

"What about you, young lady?"

Jenny shook her head. "No, I'm not supposed to."

"But you must. Lesley!"

Mrs. Wormwood snapped her fingers, and her assistant brought two bottles of Bubble Shock over to them.

"Oh, no, really, thanks, we're fine."

"No, no, no, no. But I insist! A good journalist should submit to the complete experience. Drink Bubble Shock, Miss Smith. Drink deep."

Sarah Jane reached for the bottle and Jenny's face took on a look of fear and worry.

* * *

"Bane has received ringing endorsements."

Blue Peter presenters were shown on a screen.

_"Now, we're not supposed to advertise, but we make an exception for this." _

_"Yep. You have got to try Bubble Shock. It's simply delicious!" _

_"Drink it!" _

* * *

Sarah Jane pulled her hand back from the bottle and Jenny relaxed.

"Mrs. Wormwood, I'd rather die."

"Well, we can't have that, can we?"

"But those scientists, they said that Bane behaves very oddly when they try to test it, as if it's resisting the analysis. And nothing could do that. At least, nothing on Earth."

"What exactly are you suggesting, Miss Smith? That Bane originated in outer space?"

"Of course not. That would be ridiculous."

"Wouldn't it, though."

* * *

"So the pure spring water and fresh fruit juice ends up here, where Bane is added. And from here it's bottled, all quality-controlled, packed up, and ready to be distributed all over the British Isles."

"Listen, we'll be done in twenty minutes," whispered Kelsey. "I'll go phone Suki. She can meet us in WH Smith's."

"You're not supposed to use your phone," Maria whispered back.

"And what are you, a Girl Guide?"

"They'll take it off you."

"Well, he's not going to see, is he? Two ticks. Suki's dead rich."

Kelsey snuck away from the tour.

* * *

"Go ahead and print your story, by all means. But consider your career. Are you going to expose this as some kind of alien plot? You'll be considered insane," said Mrs. Wormwood.

"I don't care what people think of me. Never have. I just want to find the truth."

"But at such a cost. I take it, Miss Smith, that you're single?"

"Yes, I am."

"No children?"

"No."

"Such a wasted life. Miss Smith and her friend are leaving. Lesley will show you out."

Mrs. Wormwood returned to her desk. Sarah Jane and Jenny started to walk to the lift but Jenny stopped and turned back to Mrs. Wormwood.

"Oh, and by the way, what planet do you come from?"

"Nice try."

"Can't blame me for trying."

Lesley escorted Sarah Jane and Jenny into the lift. Mrs. Wormwood activated her Bluetooth earpiece.

"Lesley. Kill them."

In the lift, Jenny saw the reflection of Lesley activating her earpiece, and elbowed the woman hard in the stomach. The lift stopped and they ran.

* * *

Kelsey hid under a metal staircase when two orange overalled men walked down. She ran through some doors to hide. Meanwhile, Sarah Jane and Jenny were also playing dodge the guards.

"Blimey," muttered Kelsey. "Don't put this on the tour, do they?" She makes her phone call. "Hiya, Suki."

Massive feedback through the phone made her drop it. An alarm blared.

"Emergency. Emergency. Evacuate."

Kelsey started to run, but a pipe burst in front of her. The equipment started shaking. She then looked up and screamed.

* * *

The tour was being ushered out.

"I'm sorry, everyone. We seem to have some kind of emergency. That's it, keep moving, please, thank you." He turns to a guard. "Get them out. Get everyone out!"

* * *

A big eye looked down at Kelsey, who kept screaming.

* * *

Maria was being ushered out with everyone else when she realized something. "Kelsey." She ran back into the factory and down a corridor.

"Kelsey?"

_"Emergency."_

* * *

"What is it?" yelled Mrs. Wormwood. "What's happening?"

Lesley entered from the lift holding her stomach.

"Mrs. Wormwood. They escaped."

"Sarah Jane Smith!"

* * *

"Kelsey?"

* * *

"Find them. And this time, kill them properly!"

* * *

"Kelsey?"

* * *

"What have you done?" shouted Davey.

"Get that thing away from me," Kelsey shrieked.

"She is not a thing. You are the thing! She is my mother, the mother of us all."

A security guard found Kelsey's dropped mobile phone.

"Sir."

"Well, turn it off."

The guard dropped the phone and stamped on it.

"Oi, that's my phone!"

The thing in the ceiling growled.

"There's nothing to be scared of, Mother. Our precious Bane Mother."

* * *

Meanwhile, Maria looked for her missing friend.

"Kelsey? You there?"

She hid from guards and tried using her phone. A klaxon sounded.

* * *

In the laboratory, sparks flew from the console, and the boy under the sheets suddenly sat up. He pulled out his tubes and runs out.

"Close off the exits. Maintain position. Section seventeen report."

Maria ran into the boy.

"Er, hello."

"Er, hello," he repeated.

"Who are you?"

"Who are you?"

"I'm lost."

"I'm lost."

"I'll turn off vat number four," they heard a guard say.

The Archetype ran. Maria followed.

* * *

_"Emergency. Emergency."_

"Shroud yourself, Mother. We'll find the source and destroy it." He turned on his ear piece. "Mrs. Wormwood?"

* * *

_"We have the situation under control."_

"Oh, I don't think so. The Archetype has escaped. Find him. And for the Bane Mother's sake, turn off these alarms!"

* * *

Maria and the Archetype hid as a squad of guards jogged past. "Find the device. B squad, C squad, split up."

"I'm not with them. I can help you. We've got to find a place to hide." Maria looked around. "Yes. Come on." Maria led the Archetype into the Ladies toilets. Sarah Jane and Jenny entered the hallway right after they go in.

"We'll be safe in here for a bit. One place men never go. Sorry for dragging you into the ladies."

"Why do men never go to the ladies?"

Security came along, so Sarah Jane and Jenny rushed into the ladies toilets. Jenny raised a finger to her lips, signaling Sarah Jane to be quiet. She tiptoed over to a stall and kicked it open to see Maria and the Archetype.

"What are you doing here?" asked Sarah Jane.

"I could ask you the same!" retorted Maria.

Jenny nodded to the Archetype. "Who's he?"

* * *

"Have you searched everywhere?" asked Wormwood.

"It must have left the compound," responded Davey.

"Impossible! There are still humans here. I can smell them. And two particular people, still alive."

* * *

"What have they done to you?" asked Sarah Jane.

"I knew I had to get away."

"Yeah, well, that goes for all of us," muttered Jenny.

* * *

"Did you search in there?" asked Wormwood, pointing to the ladies toilet.

"But it's for their females only. We are males. Their culture says we must never go in."

"Oh, you idiot." She pushed the door open and Davey followed. Empty, with a window ajar.

"Where does that lead?" asked Wormwood.

"Visitors' car park. Only a child could get through there."

"Or narrow-hipped females."

* * *

"Come on. This way," shouted Sarah Jane.

"Can I drive?" asked Jenny. Sarah Jane threw her the car keys.

* * *

"Quickly, seal the gates."

* * *

They got to Sarah Jane's car.

"Move, get in!" yelled Jenny.

"But my friend's in there," argued Maria. "I only just met her this morning, but just I can't leave her."

"Well, the bus has gone. Maybe she was on the bus. Now get in."

"I can't!"

The main gates started closing. Sarah Jane soniced them open again.

"What's that thing?" asked Maria.

"Sonic lipstick. Now get in!"

"Search the perimeter!" yelled Wormwood.

"Move!

"Retrieve the Archetype!"

Sarah Jane looked at Jenny as soon as everyone had gotten in the car. "Floor it."

Jenny smiled. "I've been waiting to hear those words since I got here." She turned to look at Maria and the Archetype. "You might want to hold on to something." Maria tightened her grip on the seatbelt and the Archetype copied her. Jenny slammed her foot onto the gas pedal and the car took off.

Wormwood got to the parking lot in time to see the car shoot onto the road. "She's taken the Archetype. Now we can have even more fun. Oh, even more." She went back up to her office, where Kelsey was sitting on a chair with Lesley and Davey on either side of her.

"Now then. Let's find out what you know, little girl."

* * *

Jenny pulled up in Sarah Jane's driveway and skidded to a stop. Maria and the Archetype darted forward but were pulled back by their seatbelts. Jenny turned around and gave them a smile. "Seatbelt check," she said and got out of the car. Everyone else followed her lead.

"But who is he?" Maria asked, pointing at the Archetype. "What was he doing in that factory? What were they doing in there?"

"Just leave it," ordered Sarah Jane. "You go home, Maria, I can handle things from now on." Jenny put her arm around the Archetypes shoulders.

"But there's something going on," insisted Maria, "I saw you two last night."

"What did you say?"

"She said she saw you last night," repeated the Archetype. Jenny shushed him and led him inside.

"With that thing in your garden. That alien."

"Now listen to me, Maria. My life is dangerous, and rule one, I don't put anyone else in danger. Especially not a kid."

"I'm not a kid. And what about Jenny?" asked Maria. "You let her come with you. I bet she's not even your niece is she?"

"No, she isn't."

"Then why do you let her help you?"

"Because she was trained to do these kinds of things from the moment she was born!" Sarah Jane yelled. She sighed and her voice softened. "Maria, just go back home. You watch telly; you do whatever it is you do. You just live your life as normal. You forget any of this happened. Have you got that? You stay away from me, for your own sake."

Maria ran back over to her house. Alan greeted her when she came in. "Hey, I've worked out the oven. It was on a timer. Maria?"

Maria ran upstairs, threw herself on her bed and cried.

* * *

"And another thing. I want compensation for that phone. That was brand new last week. And FYI, he is a prize mentalist. He's got like this big puppet thing living in his roof, and he thinks it's his mum." Wormwood had been listening to Kelsey ramble on for a while, but she started at her last sentence.

"Puppet?" she asked.

"She means Mother," explained Davey.

"Yeah? If that's your mum, then you should go on Jeremy Kyle."

"I can't understand a word she says. She's all noise and ignorance. Whereas Miss Smith, she seems familiar with the concept of alien life. Far too familiar. Look, if we scan her..." She put Sarah Jane's scan on the big screen in the middle of the room. "An average human, except..."

"What is it?"

"Residual artron energy."

"And what's that?"

"Background radiation. Result of travels through the space time vortex. A while ago, but it's still there."

"A time space traveler?"

"So it seems. We need to find her."

"She lives on Bannerman Road," interrupted Kelsey.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Bannerman Road. And she's as loony as you lot."

"We must retrieve the Archetype and kill this Smith woman and her friend," stated Davey. "I've been aching to kill one ever since we arrived."

"This one has information. Perhaps we can use her."

"You can let me go, otherwise I'm phoning the police, and ChildLine," threatened Kelsey.

"I'm going to turn off my image translator. Try not to scream."

"I never scream."

There was a whirring noise and squelchy sounds. Something towered over Kelsey as the security guards held her arms. She screamed.

* * *

Alan knocked on Maria's door and entered with a mug.

"Someone said there's a miserable girl who needs a cup of tea. But I couldn't find one so you'll have to do instead."

"Thanks." Maria accepted the cup with a small smile.

"What is it, then, hmm? It's all right, I know. New house. New school next week. Everything must seem so weird."

"You're telling me."

"But if there's anything wrong, you can tell me. You know that, don't you? You can tell me anything."

Maria hugged her father.

* * *

Mrs. Wormwood returned to her human form. Kelsey fainted.

"Oh! It felt so good to be myself. These clumsy human oxen."

"The girl's unconscious. I'm surprised you didn't kill her," remarked Davey.

"These miniature versions have parents. Parents ask questions."

"What did we learn?"

"The thoughts of a child are chaos. Late homework. Is she fat? Will she ever be kissed? And she worships something called the Holy Oak. No. Hollyoaks. But her parents fight. She wishes she was younger, she wishes she was older. This world scares her so very much."

"And Sarah Jane Smith?" asked Davey.

"She knows her. Bannerman Road. Number 13. Yes. She lives alone. No support, no defenses."

"Then I can attack."

"Oh, yes. Have some fun. And I filleted the memories. This one will remember nothing."

Mrs. Wormwood snapped her fingers and Kelsey woke up.

"Oh. Right. Hiya. Oh, I'm so ashamed. I'm asleep in your office."

"We've looked after you. And don't worry, Davey can take you home. Off you go, Davey. Bannerman Road. Enjoy."

* * *

The Archetype looked around at Sarah Jane's books and artefacts. Indian sculptures and a carved elephant, The Tumbled House by Winston Graham, the short stories of H. G. Wells, Rider from Rifle Rock by Gladwell Richardson, a glass sun, earth and moon hanging in front of the window. Jenny brought in a tray of tea and sandwiches while Sarah Jane tried to continue her conversation with the Archetype.

"But you must have a name. If I'm Sarah Jane, then you are?"

"All I know is I had to run," responded the Archetype.

"But you can talk. Someone must have taught you that. Who was it?"

"Everyone."

Jenny looked up from where she set the tray down. "What does that mean, everyone?"

"I am everyone. And then I had to run. The girl came, Maria, and then you two."

Sarah Jane sighed. This conversation was getting more and more hopeless by the second, but she wouldn't give up. "Well, think back. Before you ran, what can you remember?"

"I was born running."

"But you must have a home."

"Is this your home?"

"Yes, it is."

"Can I live here?"

"No, I don't think so. Sorry."

Jenny motioned to the tray. "Help yourself."

"Is this food?" asked the Archetype.

"Food and drink," answered Jenny.

"Which is which?"

_"Sarah Jane?" _

"Who's that?"

"No one," responded Sarah Jane.

"There was a voice."

"No, there wasn't."

_"Sarah Jane?" _

"Not now!" she yelled, getting up to close the lounge door.

"I thought you lived alone," said the Archetype.

"I do. And whatever happens, you're not to go upstairs. Have you got that? It's private. You don't ever go upstairs, unless I say so."

"You don't trust me."

"I don't even know you."

"Do you want me to scan him?" asked Jenny.

Sarah Jane nodded. "Go ahead."

Jenny pulled out a pair of sunglasses from her bag on the couch. She put them on and lights flashed around the edges. "Hold on. Now don't be afraid." She scanned him and the results popped up on the screen, visible to only her.

"He's not alien. A normal, healthy lad. Human. Ageing rate normal. But-" she paused. "Well, that can't be right."

"What is it?" asked Sarah Jane.

"This says he was born three hundred and sixty years ago. No. Three hundred and sixty minutes ago."

"Is that good or bad?"

* * *

Davey pulled up on Bannerman Road with Kelsey in the car.

"Bannerman Road. Off you go."

"Well," started Kelsey. "I don't have to be home till six. We could go for a burger."

"Get out. And don't forget. Drink Bubble Shock." He gave her a bottle from the center console and she got out of the car. He looked across at number 13, and smiled.

* * *

Kelsey walked in to the Jackson home. Alan looked at her. "Here comes trouble."

"Kelsey!"

"Thanks for abandoning me," said Kelsey. "Some friend you are."

"I'm making a snack. Do you want some, Kelsey? Beans on toast?"

Kelsey shakes her head. "Too many carbohydrates."

"Right, you can starve."

"But where were you?" asked Maria. "All the alarms went off and I was running around the factory looking for you."

"He's all right, your dad. He's a bit fit."

"Oh, shut up. Where'd you get to, Kelsey? Tell me. The factory. What happened?"

* * *

The Archetype looked through a book. Outside, Davey unlatched the garden gate.

"You can read?" asked Jenny, looking at him.

"I can now," responded the Archetype.

"You just learnt?"

"It's easy. Letters and words."

Sarah Jane took the book from him. "Forgive me, but if you don't mind, could you just lift up your top so I can see your stomach."

He did. His abdomen was completely smooth.

Jenny put a hand to her stomach. "You've got no belly button."

"Is that good or bad?" asked the Archetype.

Outside, Davey snuck up to the window.

"I don't know," said Sarah Jane, "but everyone who's born has got a belly button."

"Why not me?"

"Sorry, but I don't think you were born. I think you were grown."

Davey looked in through the window and deactivated his image transformer.

* * *

"Honestly," Kelsey was saying, "I was mortified to wake up in her office. And then they drove me home."

"Who drove you home?" asked Maria.

"The muffin."

"What, the man from the tour? He's here on Bannerman Road?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"Dad, I'm going out."

Maria and Kelsey ran outside and up Sarah Jane's drive. Maria banged on the door. "Sarah Jane! Open up! It's me, it's Maria!"

"You're completely shaming me."

Sarah Jane answered the door. "I told you, leave me alone."

"But it's the man from the factory. He's on the street. He's here!"

Kelsey screamed as a giant green monster came around the corner of the house.

"Inside! Get in!" yelled Sarah Jane. The girls ran inside. Sarah Jane locked the door and braced herself against it as Davey tried to break in.

"What is it? What is it? What is that thing? What is it?" yelled Kelsey.

"Hello, Maria. Hello, Screaming Girl," said the Archetype.

"There's a great big alien out there!" yelled Maria.

"What is it? What is it?"

"Get upstairs," ordered Sarah Jane.

"We're not allowed," said the Archetype.

"I'm allowing you. Now go!"

"What is that thing?"

"Just shut up and move!" Maria yelled.

Davey ripped the front door off its hinges and threw it. He scurried across the ceiling.

"All of you just run! As fast as you can."

Everyone ran up the stairs to a landing.

"He's coming up the stairs," yelled Kelsey. "We're gonna die! What is that thing?"

The green, one eyed Davey went up the stairs by leaps and bounds.

"He's coming!"

Jenny came up the stairs holding her gun. She shot at the thing. It screeched and turned to her. It knocked the gun out of her hand and she backed up against the wall.

"Your turn, Sarah Jane!" yelled Jenny.

"Wait here," she ordered. She opened the door to the final stairs to the attic.

"What's up there?" asked Maria, staring after Sarah Jane.

"No, you can't go up. I'll be ten seconds. Just ten seconds."

"You will die, Miss Smith," said the monster. "You and the squealing pigs."

Kelsey used the Archetype as a shield. "This is not happening. This is so not happening."

"But that contradicts the facts," said the Archetype.

"First the children and then you, old woman."

Sarah Jane came back down the stairs. "Hey! Less of the old." Sarah Jane fired a small alien 'fire extinguisher' at the creature and it turned back into Davey.

"It's the muffin."

"That is a muffin?" asked the Archetype.

Jenny lunged at him and they both fell down the stairs. Jenny landed on top of him and started punching him as hard as she possibly could.

"Jenny, that's enough!"

Jenny rolled off of Davey and stood. She grabbed the back of his shirt and forced him to do the same. She pulled him to the door and shoved him to the ground outside.

"If I ever see your sorry face around here again, so help me, you'll get a lot worse than a black eye and bloody nose."

Davey stood and ran to his car. Jenny went back into the house and ran up the stairs to the others, wiping her hand on her jeans.

Sarah Jane looked at her alien fire extinguisher. "Pity. That was the last one." Sarah Jane went down a few steps to scoop up some residual black goo.

"What's going on?" asked Maria.

"Maria, don't get involved."

"I think it's a little bit too late for that. Thanks. You saved our lives."

"I suppose I did."

Kelsey snuck up the last short flight of stairs. "Oh, my flipping heck!"

"No! Don't go up there!" Sarah Jane stormed up the stairs, everyone following her. They came to a room full of overfull bookshelves, lots of memorabilia and other artefacts. "Who said you could come up here?" demanded Sarah Jane. "Don't touch anything."

"This place is beautiful," commented the Archetype.

"Thank you."

"Not bad yourself, fella," said Kelsey.

"What does that mean?"

"Oh, he's mine."

"Is that good or bad?"

"That's bad," said Maria. "That's very bad. It's just you, though. On your own."

"The government knows all about aliens. And then there are secret organizations dedicated to finding them, but they tend to go in guns blazing."

"Oi!" Jenny shouted. "I'm part of one of those organizations and that is not what we do!"

Sarah Jane shrugs. "I just think there's a better way of doing it."

"But how'd you get started?" asked Maria.

"I met this man. A very special man, called the Doctor."

Jenny smiles. "That's my dad."

"And years ago, we travelled together."

"In space?"

"Space and time. And then it came to an end, and suddenly I was back to a normal life. Electric bills, burst pipes, bus tickets and rain."

"They are completely loop the loop," muttered Kelsey.

"There, do you see? Who can I talk to about it? For years I tried to forget, and then I met him again, the Doctor. We'd both changed, but it's funny because we were still both the same. And I learnt I could carry on here on Earth, doing what we always did. That's when I started this. I began my life again."

"And the Bubble Shock factory. It's run by aliens."

"All right, everyone's an alien. You, me, the Pope, James Blunt." Kelsey paused. "Actually, I can believe that one."

"Hey, Kelsey, you saw it. That great big alien creature."

"I saw a muffin in a suit, that's all. Like in the films. It's pretend."

Maria turned to a shelf and picked up an artefact. "So, these things are alien?" asked Maria.

"Some of them."

Maria picks up a picture of the Brigadier, and Sarah Jane in younger days with K9.

"Where'd you get them?"

"I suppose you've seen too much now," started Sarah Jane. "It's not as if anyone's going to believe you. Aliens are falling to Earth all the time. It's not just those stories you hear on the news. All sorts of creatures."

"Some have got lost," continued Jenny, "like the one you saw us sending home last night. Some of them want to invade, and some of them, like me, crash-land. You still believe us?"

"Yes."

"Really? How come?"

"Because you're both bonkers, but I don't think you're liars."

"Oh well, that's nice to know," said Sarah Jane. "No, except about the bonkers bit."

"Well, I take it as a compliment. Anybody remotely interesting is mad in some way."

Maria blinked and looked over at Jenny. "Wait, did you just say that you're an alien?"

Jenny looked at Sarah Jane and smiled. "I was wondering when they were going to pick up on that." She turned back to Maria. "Yes, I'm an alien." Maria's eyes widened. "Not all aliens are little green men, you know. Here, I'll show you." She took a book off of the table and handed it to Maria. Maria looked at the book. It looked like those diaries that you could get at the store only it was bigger and had the words 'Big Book of Species' written across the front in red letters. Maria held the book out a little.

"Is this..."

Jenny laughed. "No, it's Sharpie." After a pause she said, "Are you gonna read it, or are we gonna stand here all day." Maria opened the book and flipped through it, stopping every so once and while to look at a creature with more detail.

"How did you crash here?" Maria asked, still looking at the book.

Jenny's cheeks tinted. "Embarrassingly enough, I ran out of gas while I was out in space." Kelsey snorted and Jenny looked over at her. "What?"

"You expect us to believe you're an alien?" she asked.

Jenny walked over to her and put her face close to the younger girl's. "This is only a disguise." The attic went deadly silent. Jenny pulled back and looked at everyone. "Kidding! I was kidding. But I do have two hearts."

"Really?" asked Maria. Jenny nodded and took a stethoscope out of her jacket pocket, holding it out to Maria. Maria took it and put it in her ears.

"Hold on a sec," Jenny said. She reached around to the back of her neck and took off a silver chain with two dog tags on it.

"What's that?" asked Maria.

"This is my perception filter. It stops people from hearing or seeing my second heart on scanners. So, if I ever have to go to the hospital, the doctors won't cut me up and experiment on me." She took the end of the stethoscope and placed it on the left side of her chest, showing her regular heartbeat. _Thump-thump, thump-thump_. She moved it to the right side of her chest and Maria was shocked to hear a second _thump-thump, thump-thump_. She took the stethoscope out of her ears and gave it back. Jenny grinned. "See? I'm a Time Lord, one of the two still left."

Something in the wall beeped.

"He's circled back," said Jenny.

"Another invasion, obviously. Little green men."

Jenny opened a wall safe. Inside, K9 floating in space.

"There was a scientific project in Switzerland," explained Sarah Jane. "They created their own black hole. If it gets free, the Earth would be swallowed up, so K9's sealing it off."

_"Greetings, Mistress and Young Mistress." _

"K9."

"He's my friend," said Sarah Jane.

"K9 as in canine?" asked Kelsey. "Oh, that's so lame."

"He's been in there for a year and a half now, plugging the distortion, and every so often he passes my way."

"Your best friend's a metal dog with its bum stuck in a black hole?" asked Kelsey.

"I know."

"How are you, K9?" asked Jenny. "How do you feel?"

_"Misunderstanding of the functional nature of this unit, Young Mistress. I do not feel. However, all circuits are functioning at full capacity." _

"Can you ever come out, K9?" asked Maria.

"Oh, K9, this is Maria."

_"Greetings, Young Mistress. I cannot emerge until this breach is sealed." _

"How long will that take?"

"I cannot estimate the duration of this task."

"What does he eat, nuts and bolts?" asked Kelsey.

_"The small female is hostile." _

"Don't listen to her."

_"Regret I must transfer my co-ordinates, Mistress." _

"Goodbye, K9."

"Bye, bye, K9. Good dog."

_"Affection noted, mistress." _

Sarah Jane closed the safe.

"How long's he gone for?" asked Maria.

"I don't know, but I miss him. And don't you laugh, Kelsey Hooper. But he was my dog, my daft little metal dog. And now, I'm on my own."

At the Bane factory, Wormwood glared at Davey. "You know the penalty."

"Forgive me. But they had weapons. Terrible weapons."

"A hunter that loses his prey is unfit to serve the Bane Mother."

"I'll go back. I'll kill them."

"I can manage that on my own." She turned off her image translator. "Mother eats the children that fail her. You will become food. "

Davey stumbled backwards, screaming.

Maria picked up the shield shaped hand device, while Sarah Jane concocted a potion.

"What's this, then?" she asked.

"It's some sort of communicator," answered Sarah Jane. "It was a gift from the person you saw last night. She said if I ever needed help, I could use it to call her."

"Then let's call her."

Jenny sauntered over to them. "She meant help with poetry. She was a Star Poet from Arcateen Five. That's not much use. Unless you want to rhyme trouble with double."

"Let me see," said the Archetype.

Sarah Jane nodded.

"Careful."

"He knows nothing about the world," Jenny said. "Everything's new to him."

"I think he's an experiment," said Sarah Jane, "like those aliens created him."

"He's their child."

"But he's still human."

The communicator beeps. "If you don't mind," she said, taking it back. "I don't like people going through my things."

"That device on your wrist, it detects alien life?" asked the Archetype.

"That's right."

"Then what's it detecting now?"

"How do you mean?"

"It's beeping."

"He's right."

"There might be another one of those things out there?" asked Maria.

"No, wait a minute."

The signal gets stronger as she approaches Kelsey.

"What?"

"Kelsey! You're an alien!" exclaimed Maria.

"Oh, you wish."

Sarah Jane grabs the bottle of Bubble Shock. "No, it's not her."

"Oi, that's mine."

"It's the drink. It's that ingredient, Bane."

"Yeah, well, it's organic."

"More than that. It's alive. Species identified, Bane. It's not just an ingredient, it's an alien! This is the secretion of... I need glasses. A Bane Mother. There is a piece of living Bane inside every bottle of Bubble Shock."

"I've been drinking that stuff, and it's alien?"

"I thought you didn't believe in aliens," said Maria.

"Oh, you can shut up. I've got things from outer space living in my stomach. What are you going to do about it?"

"It's not my fault."

"Yeah? You've got all this stuff, all these gadgets, and you sit here talking, yapping on all day about planets and monsters. What good is that? Why don't you actually do something?"

"All right, Kelsey. Just you watch. Mister Smith?"

"Yes, Sarah Jane?"

"I need you."

To a fanfare, a stone fireplace in the corner cracks open and a set of consoles topped by a large screen emerge.

"Mister Smith's a computer," explained Jenny.

"An alien computer," added Maria.

"Mister Smith, I want a direct visual link to Mrs. Wormwood at the Bane factory. Can you get coordinates?"

"Accessing."

"What, you can just phone her up?" asked Maria.

"Mister Smith can hack into anything."

"But why do you want to talk to them?"

"Because we've got to be fair."

"013457689014658757562987032105-5."

"That's like their phone number."

"Visual link connecting."

Wormwood's face popped up on the screen. "Mrs. Wormwood."

"Oh, very clever."

"Thanks for the assassination attempts."

"My next one will involve harpoons."

"I know who you are and what you are. Bane. Now leave this planet."

"Are you declaring war?"

"Mrs. Wormwood, the universe is huge, and Earth is so small. You don't need to do this. I'm asking you, as one species to another, just leave this us in peace. Please."

"And if I don't?"

Jenny cut in. "Then we'll have to do something."

"Very well. In the language of your young ones,_ bring it on."_ Mrs. Wormwood ended the transmission.

"Now, that didn't go well."

"How're you gonna stop them?" asked Maria.

"You tell me."

"What? Do you mean you haven't got a plan? Nothing?"

"No. The people I fight have plans and weapons, but I don't. It's what makes me different."

* * *

"Mother, events have escalated. We must declare war on mankind. Open your mind, Mother. You must convert the humans containing Bane. They will convert the rest. Let this become Bane World!" The ceiling opened and a giant eye looked down at Mrs. Wormwood. All over the world, people who were drinking Bubble Shock get an orange glow around their heads. Including Alan Jackson.

* * *

An orange glow appears around Kelsey's head. "Kelsey Hooper. Look!"

"Help me."

"Oh my God," gasped Jenny, "it's beginning. Kelsey, fight it."

Kelsey straightened up and held out the bottle. "Drink it."

"It's the Bane," said Maria. "They're taking people over."

"Out. Quickly. Out!"

"Drink it. Drink it. Drink it. Drink it."

They ran down the stairs and went outside.

"I've got to get to the factory," said Sarah Jane.

"I'm coming with you," stated Maria.

"You are staying here."

Alan walked over to the road.

"Dad, Stay indoors. There's all this stuff happening."

"Drink it."

"Dad, no! Dad!"

* * *

"Mother stirs. Those who have not taken Bane must be converted."

* * *

People staggered down the road like zombies, holding out bottles of Bubble Shock.

"Drink it."

"Dad, listen to me. It's not you, it's the thing. It's the drink. It's the Bane."

"Drink it. Drink it."

Sarah Jane ran over and grabbed Maria's arm. "We can't help them. The only thing we can do is get to the factory. Now get in the car."

"Drink it. Drink it. Drink it."

They got in the car. "This is bad, yes? I recognize bad."

"What are we gonna do?" asked Maria.

Jenny turned around to look her in the eye. "Maria, there are two types of people in the world. People who panic. And then there's us. You got that?"

"Got it."

Sarah Jane drove off at speed, swerving to avoid the pedestrians in the road.

"Drink it. Drink it. Drink it."

* * *

"Mother welcomes her new children. Come to us, newborn Bane. Come to us."

* * *

Jenny leaned out the window and soniced the gates open before Sarah Jane drove in. The zombies followed. Jenny and Sarah Jane got out of the car and started having a whispered conversation. Maria got out of the car and shot the two women a look that clearly said, 'What do we do now?'

Jenny looked over at her. "Sarah Jane and I are going inside. You stay here."

"No way!"

"Drink it. Drink it."

Jenny pointed her sonic pen at the gates, which then closed on the zombies. Sarah Jane pulled out her sonic lipstick and started working on the door. She groaned after a minute.

"What's wrong?" asked Jenny.

"They've got a deadlock seal."

"What does that mean?" asked Maria.

"We can't get in."

The Archetype got out of the car. "Sarah Jane!"

"Drink it. Drink it."

"We can't go back and we can't get in."

"Thanks for that, Captain Obvious."

Maria ignored Jenny's comment. "What do we do?"

"No. There's got to be a way of getting in. There's got to be. There must be something. What do I do? Oh, come on, Doctor, help me. Come on. Think."

"Drink it. Drink it. Drink it."

Jenny looked around the parking lot, hoping to find something to help them. Her eyes locked on something and she gave Sarah Jane a light tap on the arm.

"What?"

"Will that work?" she asked, pointing in another direction.

"Yes."

* * *

"All the humans who don't submit will be reduced to liquid. Then Bane will drink them, and what's that noise?"

The Bubble Shock bus crashed into the factory. Sarah Jane stumbled out. "Not too late for the party?"

"Miss Smith."

"I warned you. Leave this planet."

"Have you met my mother?" Wormwood pointed upwards. Sarah Jane looked up. Maria, Jenny and the Archetype got off the bus.

"Leave her alone!" shouted Maria.

"I told you to stay on board."

"Too late for that."

"Oh, you've brought us the Archetype," said Wormwood.

"He is a living, thinking human being. And you created him. What for?"

"He's an assembly of thousands of different humans. A montage, you might say. A collage. On every tour of the factory, we'd scan the guests, all ten thousand of them, and then we fed every strength and every weakness into him. The Archetype."

"I am everyone."

"But why?" asked Jenny.

"The two percent that wouldn't touch Bane. The Archetype could tell us exactly how to modify our product."

Jenny wrapped her arms around the Archetype from behind. "That's horrid, and you're horrid for thinking of it."

"Say what you will, but since we've advanced our plans, he is no longer needed."

Wormwood activated her ring, and the Archetype collapsed in pain.

"No. No!"

"He's only a boy. I'm begging you, let him go."

"Oh, that's so sweet. But he's dying, and soon you will all join him, like all our enemies. Starting with you, Miss Smith."

Wormwood pulled out a gun and fired. Jenny pushed Sarah Jane to the side and jerked as the bullet hit her in the chest. Her hand automatically went to her chest and she toppled backward.

Sarah Jane rushed over to her. "Jenny! Jenny, say something!"

She looked up at Sarah Jane, remembering herself being in a very similar situation. "You know, it's funny..."

"What?"

Jenny let out a gasp. "This is how it ended last time."

"It's too late. Our slave control is activated around the world. The time of man is over. The time of Bane is come."

"Drink it. Drink it. Drink it. Drink it."

Gold light started to radiate off Jenny's hands. Sarah Jane helped her up and backed up to the wall pulling Maria and the Archetype with her.

"What's going on?" Wormwood demanded.

Jenny looked down at her hands. She knew this would happen someday. "This is going to hurt, isn't it?"

She looked at Sarah Jane, who nodded.

"I'm sorry."

Jenny smiled weakly. "That's Ok. I'm 205; this body was getting old anyway."

Jenny vaguely felt her hands reach up and rip off her tags. She spread her arms and screamed as her hands and face burst into golden flames, all of which were pointed at the Bane Mother. It screeched and howled, trying desperately to get away. Maria, Sarah Jane and the Archetype covered their faces. When the screaming faded, everyone looked up to see a 14 year old girl standing where Jenny had once been. The girl looked at Sarah Jane.

"Toes," said the girl.

"What?"

"My toes are tingly." Her hands went to her throat. "And my voice is higher than it was." She reached up to move her hair so she could see it. "My hair... It's blue!" She giggled. "That's bloody brilliant." The Bane Mother screeched. The girl looked up, looking like she almost forgot about the monster in the ceiling.

"You've made Mother angry, Time Lord," stated Wormwood. The girl glared at Wormwood with hatred in her eyes.

"It's Time Lady, if you want to be politically correct," she responded. Maria looked at Sarah Jane with confusion written all over her face.

"Who's that? What happened to Jenny?"

The Archetype looked at her as well. He gestured to the girl. "Is this good or bad?"

Sarah Jane looked at them. "I'm not sure, and I'll explain later."

"But," continued Wormwood, "It doesn't matter. She's still well enough to complete the plan." She pushed the girl back to the others. "You've failed, Miss Smith. This is where your lonely life has led you."

"Except she's not on her own," interjected Maria. "She's got me. And I've got this." Maria pulled out a mobile phone and held it up. It whirred and the Bane Mother squirmed.

"The device is tiny, and now you've angered the Bane Mother more. Do you really think that's wise?"

The Bane Mother's tentacles reached down for a large steel pipe, which she swung at Sarah Jane and Maria.

"I told you to stay away," hissed Sarah Jane.

"Know what? I'm still glad I didn't."

Wormwood looked up at the Bane Mother. "Mother, descend, and consume them."

The Archetype stepped forward. "You forgot this." He held up the communicator.

"What is that?"

"A signal device from another world."

"Arcateen Five, to be precise," chimed the girl.

"And what of it?" asked Wormwood.

"Like a mobile phone," explained the girl, "only to call across the stars. It must be a million times more powerful."

"Then it's a good thing you don't know our frequency."

"Mr. Smith said it out loud," said the Archetype.

Sarah Jane looked at him. "But that was dozens of numbers."

"But I remember them. You gave me the memory of ten thousand humans."

"Stop him!"

The Archetype's fingers blur over the buttons.

"013457689014658757562987032105-5. Calling the Bane." He holds up the communicator and a piercing tone fills the area.

"Argh! The Bane Mother! You're killing her! Archetype, I order you to stop!"

"But you made him human," shouts the girl. "He's ours! Guys, give me a hand."

Sarah Jane put her jacket around the Archetype and helped him through the rubble as equipment started to explode.

"Come on."

They ran, and got out of a fire escape door that led to the parking lot. Mrs. Wormwood got into a cargo lift.

"Until the next time, Miss Smith."

The place exploded in a fireball and the girl ducked to avoid flying rubble.

"Did we stop them?" asked Maria. The girl nodded.

"Are you all right?" Sarah Jane asked the Archetype.

"Their control has gone, and I'm free. That's good."

The girl looked at him and smiled widely. "Oh yes, that's good." She hugged him. She pulled away and rested an arm on his shoulder.

"I would be dead without you. We all would. You're amazing. The pair of you. Amazing!"

"This is happiness, yes?"

"Oh, yes. We did it!"

"We did it! We did it!"

They had a group hug. The girl broke it off and pointed at Maria. "We should probably get her home before her dad stars asking questions."

* * *

_"The government has refused to comment, but stocks of Bubble Shock have been withdrawn from our shelves and the mass hysteria of this afternoon is being put down to a chemical imbalance of the brain."_

Maria ran into her house and hugged her dad. "Dad!"

"Whoa! Hey, what's brought this on?"

"I thought I'd lost you."

"I had a bit of a turn, that's all. It's all over the news. Some chemicals escaped from that factory and gave everyone hallucinations."

Sarah Jane, Jenny, and the Archetype entered.

"Oh, hello," greeted Alan.

"Hello. Just er, just checking everything's all right."

"That's very neighborly."

"Yeah, well, sorry about before. Welcome to the neighborhood."

"It's certainly been eventful. Is it always like this?"

"No, this is a quiet day."

"And who's this?

"This is, I suppose, this is my son. My adopted son. And my other niece."

"Hello," the Archetype greeted him. Jenny waves.

"And what're your names?"

"I'm Janie," Jenny said. Maria gave her a questioning glance, which Jenny ignored. Alan looked at the Archetype.

"What about you, then?"

"I don't have one."

"Sorry, no, it's an old family joke. He's called er..."

Chrissie walked in through the open front door. "Look at you, leaving your front door open after everything that's happened. Did you hear about the chemicals? Oh, it was a nightmare. I had Ivan chasing me round the bedroom saying drink it. I told him to get off, but he wasn't having it. Haven't you unpacked yet? Alan, I did say that the longer things stay in boxes, the less it feels like a home. And you are?"

"Sarah Jane Smith. I'm from over the road."

"This is my mother."

"Oh, what is with that hair?" Chrissie asked looking at Jenny.

Jenny patted her hair down. "I like it."

Chrissie looked at the Archetype. "What's he wearing?"

"These are the clothes I was born in."

"Right. Well, er, thank you very much, but if you don't mind, I've had a bit of a trauma. Family time. Thanks for calling in."

"Okay, we'll be off."

"This woman is rude," said the Archetype.

"I'll say," agreed Jenny.

Sarah Jane glared at Jenny. "Yes. Definitely going. Come on, we'll go home."

"You don't have to."

"Oh, come on, now. Invite the neighbors round, you'll never get rid of them. Next thing you know, it's holidays together. That is a recipe for disaster. No offence. Nice to meet you, Sarah Lou."

Alan waves Sarah Jane, Jenny and the Archetype goodbye.

"So, there he was, chasing me round the bedroom with a bottle of pop. I said, that's novel. But the next thing you know, her next door's doing the same thing. Oh. While I'm here, I'll have that check, thanks."

"Can't you give it a week? I had to pay the removal men."

"Well, you should've planned. That's Alan, no plans. But Ivan's booked this villa just outside Skaffas. It's gorgeous, but we've got to pay the rest of the deposit, so..."

* * *

Later that evening, Sarah Jane walked to her garden with a jug of lemonade and some glasses for herself, Jenny and Maria.

"Cheers."

"And it's normal pop," stated Maria.

"Hooray for normal pop," Jenny said, sloshing her drink around.

"How's your friend, Kelsey?" asked Sarah Jane.

"She's back-tracking like mad, saying it was all hallucinations. No such thing as aliens."

"But we know better."

The Archetype enters in normal clothes, even wearing trainers.

"Oh, that's more like it," said Jenny.

"This is good?"

Maria nodded. "Yeah. How are you gonna adopt him, then? I mean, you need forms and things. Who are you gonna say his real mum is, the Bane Mother?

"Mister Smith's sorted that. Officially done and dusted. All he needs now is a name."

"You can choose your own."

"I like yours. Maria."

Maria laughed. "Maybe not. How about Jack? Josh? Nathan?"

"Harry? Alistair?"

"How about Luke?" suggested Jenny.

"I like Luke."

"I like Luke."

"If you like Luke, I like Luke."

"That's the name I was always going to choose if ever I had kids," said Sarah Jane. "Except it never happened."

"But now it has. Luke Smith. You're a mum."

"I am."

"I never asked. Have you got a boyfriend, or..."

"Oh, there was only ever one man for me. And after him, nothing compared. When I was your age I used to think, oh when I'm grown up, I'll know what I want. I'll be sorted. But you never really know what you want, you never feel grown up, not really. You never sort it all out. So, I thought, I can handle life on my own. But after today, I don't want to."

"What's that?" asked Luke, looking up.

Everyone looked up to see a light crossing the sky.

"It's just a plane," said Maria.

"That's a flying machine, right?"

"Perhaps it's a spaceship. I saw amazing things, out there in space. But there's strangeness wherever you turn. Life on Earth can be an adventure, too. You just need to know where to look."


	3. IMPORTANT AN!

**AN: Hey guys! Sorry this isn't a chapter. But there is a point in the story where I could turn it into a Jenny/Luke story, so if that's what you guys want, just review and let me know. You guys are the fuel that I need to finish this, and thank you for those who have read, reviewed, favorited and followed. Love you guys! Next chapter will be on Wednesday! **

**-Doctorwholuver1234**


	4. Revenge of the Slitheen Part 1

Chapter 3-Revenge of the Slitheen Part 1  
_"My name's Maria Jackson and this is Bannerman Road. I've just moved in with my dad after he and my mum got divorced. Then, in this big old house over the road, I met Jenny and Sarah Jane Smith. Sarah Jane's a journalist who investigates aliens and Jenny is an alien called Time Lord. Then there's Luke. Born yesterday, near enough. Sarah Jane's adopted him, and together, we saved the world. I discovered that life was so much bigger and stranger and better than I ever thought possible."_

* * *

Maria walked outside to go to school, and gave Alan a farewell kiss.  
"Oi! Thank you. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

* * *

_"But when school began, I thought things might go back to normal. I was wrong. They just got weirder, and weirder, and weirder."_

* * *

Sarah Jane pulled up to the school and Luke and Jenny got out.

"Now, you take care, okay?"  
"Alright, alright."  
"Goodbye, Mum."  
"Oh, I don't think so. No, Sarah Jane's just fine. Oh, hi, Maria."  
Sarah Jane kissed Luke on the cheek and the passing schoolchildren laughed. She got into her car and drove away. Luke, Jenny, and Maria started to walk to the school building.  
"Why were they laughing?" asked Luke.  
"First day, and your mum's kissing you goodbye?"  
"Is that bad?"  
"Bit embarrassing. Plus, she so wants you to call her Mum."  
"She said she didn't."  
"It's not what she said."  
They stopped to see a big glass building on the grounds with a big satellite dish on it.  
"That's a bit flashy," commented Maria.  
"It's a brand new building," said Jenny. "There was an article about it in the paper.  
"Hmm. Wonder what's inside it."

* * *

Jenny, Maria and Luke were being watched on a screen.  
"Not them. Scan along. Where is he?"  
"There! Him."  
They zoomed in on a well-built teacher.  
"He's not that big. How will I fit?"  
"He'll do. Get yourself ready. I'll go fetch."

* * *

"What can I do for you?"  
"Stand right there, Tim."  
"Any particular reason?"  
"Very particular." He farted. "Oops!"  
"Happens to us all."  
"And I'll need those."  
"Sorry?"  
The headmaster took Tim's spectacles just as the wall opened behind him and a green claw tapped him on the shoulder. Tim turned and screamed.

* * *

Jenny put on her scanner sunglasses and looked around at everyone in the assembly hall.  
"I'm feeling anxious," commented Luke.  
"Me too," agreed Jenny. She looked over at him, her sunglasses confirming his statement.  
"So am I," said Maria.  
"But you've been to school before," argued Luke.  
"Not this one."  
A boy came over to them. "Budge up." They scooted over and the boy sat next to them. "You new today?" he asked.  
"Yeah. Maria."  
"Jenny."  
"Clyde. New too. Probably hang around with you till I meet some cooler people."  
Luke held out his hand. "How do you do? I'm Luke Smith."  
"Okay, that was a joke. Now I mean it."  
The Headmaster stepped up to the podium. "Good morning, everybody."  
"Good morning, Mister Blakeman."  
Mister Blakeman farted. The children laughed. "What's funny? The wife gave me cabbage and bean tartlets last night. Yet another reason to despise Jamie Oliver. Right. Assembly, yah di yah. Welcome back everybody. It's a new year. Hope you all do well. Don't run in the courtyard. Don't even think of wearing make-up, and study hard, because I guarantee none of you are going to be pop stars." He looked at Jenny, who was still wearing her sunglasses. "You!" He pointed at her.  
"Yes, sir?"  
"Are you blind, young lady?"  
"No, sir."  
"Then take off those glasses before they're taken from you."  
Jenny blushed and removed her sunglasses. "What's his problem?"  
"So, what else…"  
Tim walked onto the stage, farted and sat down.  
"Oh, yeah. What a bright future you've all got, children of the world, etcetera. Right. As you've seen, we have a new technology block. I'll be taking you over in groups to look at our amazing new facilities, starting with Form 10B."

* * *

"There are sixteen classrooms with broadband connections, but anything dubious your adolescent minds may be drawn to, I have locked out."  
"I've signed us up for this. First meeting's tomorrow."  
"Lunchtime science club? And now I'm backing away."  
Blakeman farted again. "Shut up!"  
"Why is farting funny?" questioned Luke.  
"It just is," responded Clyde.  
"But it's a normal process of the human bowel."  
"Are you for real? It smells weird in here."  
"Farts?"  
"I don't know. Metal. Electric."  
"Like batteries."

* * *

Later in the canteen, Maria and Jenny were sitting and talking when Clyde came up to them.  
"Can I sit here?"  
Jenny gave Maria a look, and then looked at Clyde. "Only if we're not gonna shame you."  
"Well, I either sit here with you or sit there with that."  
He gestured over to where some kids were head-slapping the fat boy.  
"What, there's someone worse than us?" asked Maria.  
"Just."  
"So where are you from?" asked Jenny.  
"Hounslow. My parents split up, so I moved down here with my Mum."  
Maria nodded. "Like me. Only I moved with my dad."  
"Yeah? How's that?"  
"Better than them rowing all the time."  
"Yeah." He turned to Jenny. "What about you, then?"  
"I don't know my parents. I was raised by my uncle and occasionally my aunt."  
"Ah." Clyde lifted some grey yuk off his plate. "What's wrong with that? It's moldy. What kind of slop are they serving here? Is it leftovers from last term or something? Sir? Sir?"  
"What?"  
"How am I meant to eat that?"  
"You just pick the bad bits off."  
"Great. That leaves me with a pea."  
"Mine's off," said Maria.  
"Mine, too," agreed Jenny. "That is disgusting. And trust me, I know disgusting."  
"What's wrong with this place? It stinks, the food's rotten. Something weird's going on here."

* * *

"Goodbye, repellent pubescents. Until tomorrow."  
"This skin, it's killing me round the legs."  
"Right. Time for a test run."  
"Now? What about the caretaker?"  
"I've taken care of the caretaker. Everything's ready. Come on."

* * *

Sarah Jane's car pulled into the drive. Alan bicycled up as Maria got out.  
"Oh, I see, you've cadged a lift, have you?"  
"I offered," put in Sarah Jane.  
"I don't know, Lady Muck, getting neighbors to chauffeur her around."  
"Shut up, Dad."  
"How was the big first day, then?"  
"Okay. A bit weird, though. The headmaster keeps farting."  
"Really? What, noisy smelly ones or silent but deadlies?"  
"Ew!"  
"What?"  
"The place stinks like batteries," commented Luke.  
"And the canteen food was off," Jenny added.  
"I'll make you a proper tea. You two go and get changed."  
"Bye, Maria."  
"See you, Maria." Luke and Jenny went inside.  
"I want a proper tea too," said Maria.  
"Make it yourself. You might have a chauffeur, but I'm not your cook."  
"Oh, whatever."  
"No, forget it, it's all right. We'll phone out for a curry. Can't have you straining yourself after your long voyage home, can we?"  
"You think you're so funny."  
"Yeah."  
Maria walked over to her house. Sarah Jane turned to Alan.  
"How do you get like that, you and Maria?"  
"Always been like that. Don't really think about it."  
"Anyway, the school can't be that bad, they've just built this." Sarah Jane took a newspaper out of her purse and showed it to him. "Someone donated the money and this technology block was put up over the holidays. It looks incredible."  
"Hold on. I did an IT job in a school, in a new block that looks like that."  
"Was it built by Coldfire Construction?"  
"Yeah."  
"Where was that?"  
"On the other side of town. Saint Cheldons in Upminster. That place smelt odd. Sort of metallic. Anyway, better go. Stop her ordering the entire menu. Bye."

* * *

Jenny had just gotten up to her room when her phone went off. "Hello?" she answered.  
"Hey!" a chorus of voices responded. Jenny giggled. The Torchwood team always did that when they called her when she was away.  
"Hey, guys. What's up?"  
"Just checking to see how it went."  
Jenny blinked. "How what went?"  
Owen's snarky voice came through the phone. "Did you actually go to school today?"  
"Oh! School, first day. I knew that. I definitely knew that."  
"Sure you did… Well?"  
"It was okay, I guess."  
"You have to give us more than that, Jenny," said Tosh.  
"You wanna hear me complain about my new school? Fine. The place stinks like batteries, the canteen food is moldy, and the headmaster keeps farting."  
She heard Jack chuckle over the phone. "Are they noisy smelly ones or silent but deadlies?"  
Jenny groaned and flopped down on her bed. "I swear, all men are the same!"  
"Why do you say that?"  
"Maria's dad asked her the exact same thing!"  
"Who's Maria?" asked Gwen.  
"One of my friends."  
"Is she cute?"  
"Jack!" Jenny yelled into the phone right before she heard a smack. "She is fourteen! And thank you to whoever that was."  
"No problem," responded Gwen.  
"And it is a bit of a change. School, I mean. No aliens, is there? I've got a feeling it will be absolutely phantasmagorical."  
"Hey, if you ever get too bored just call me and we can go shoot stuff."  
Jenny rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the offer, Jack, but I have to get an education sometime or another."

* * *

"Systems online."  
"That's it."  
"Now, synchronize the mega-wattage."  
"Synchronizing mega-watty. Er…"  
"That one."  
Blakeman throws the red-handled switch and light flashes around the room.

* * *

Luke walked up the stairs to the attic. He opened the door to see Sarah Jane sitting at the computer.  
"I kept making social mistakes today."  
Sarah Jane turned around to face him. "I think I made one too. Driving you to school when it's round the corner, kissing you goodbye? Oh, we're both new hands at this."  
"I don't know anyone except Maria, Jenny and Clyde. Maria and Jenny are in different classes to me most of the time. And Clyde thinks I'm uncool."  
"Clyde's not the only kid in the school."  
"What if I make more mistakes?"  
"Then you'll never make the same ones again. Listen, anyone is nervous starting a new school, a new job. I've never been a mum before."  
"Do I have to go?"  
"I could take you out, teach you here. I considered it. But you, Luke Smith, you're going to live a normal life. As normal a life as I can give you."  
"What if I get it wrong again? It makes me feel stupid."  
"Remember, you saved the world the day you were born. Not many people can say that."  
"No-one else can say that. That's the problem. Nobody else is like me." The computer beeped. "What are you doing?"  
"Checking up on the firm who built your new block. Coldfire Construction. They started expanding eighteen months ago, contracts all round the world. Some odd things cropping up. Now they're putting up school buildings all round London. Well, it makes a change for me. Not aliens, is it."

* * *

"Stabilizing. There!"

* * *

At the Jackson home, Alan opened the door and Chrissie walked in.  
"Only me, come for a gawp." She looked around the living room. "Oh, Alan, this is really kind of all right."  
"Thanks, Chrissie, I really value your opinion."  
"Don't be sarky. Is Maria upstairs?"  
"I think it went okay for her today."  
"What went okay for her today?"  
"Her first day at the new school."  
"That was today? My mind's just been all over the place, stress like you would not believe."  
"So why did you come round?"  
"Oh, to see my daughter, Alan. Do I need another reason? Oh, while I think about it, you were gonna give me that 13.5 tog double duvet? Only you don't need it, you've got the single." She turned and started up the stairs. "Maria, love, it's your mum!"

* * *

Blakeman claims the privilege of the last switch.  
"Lights out, London."

* * *

"Jack," Tosh's voice became worried. "Look at these energy ratings. They're going off the charts!"  
"Let me see." There was a shuffling sound.  
"What's wrong, guys?"  
A loud burst of feedback was the response. She dropped her phone. As she bent down to pick it up, the light flicked off, then the alarm clock. She looked at her phone. It wasn't turning on.

* * *

Chrissie and Maria were sitting on the couch watching the telly. "School can't be that bad. I mean, like I said, it's a much better catchment area. Ooo, I've got to go, love. Ivan's taking me to the pub. It's opera night tonight. The waiters sing while you're eating."  
The power cut as she got up.  
"Oh, great," muttered Alan.  
"There's a torch," Maria said, getting up to get it. She found it and turned it on. It only worked for about a second.  
"With a flat battery. I'm not saying anything."  
Alan sighed. "I'll get the candles."

* * *

Jenny ran up the stairs. "What's going on?"  
"Power cut?" asked Luke.  
"Yes, Mister Smith's not responding. The computer just went pfft. And guess who forgot to save her work? I'll just see how long it's going be. If I can check the local power grid…"  
Sarah Jane opened her scanner watch. "That's impossible. It never loses power. It can't lose power."

* * *

Alan came in with a box of matches. "There we go."  
Chrissie looked out the window. "It goes as far as I can see. It used to happen all the time when I was a kid. Always when there was something good on the telly. I remember once it went off right in the middle of Manimal. I was distraught."  
Alan lit one of the candles, which then went out. He tried again.  
"Weird. Why is that happening?"  
"Give them to me."  
"I can do it."  
"No, I'll do it."

* * *

In the control room, sparks started to fly everywhere.  
"What was that?"  
More sparks started flying.  
"It's destabilizing hell!"  
"Turn it off, turn it off! Turn it off!"  
They ran around pressing buttons until it turned off…

* * *

…Just as Chrissie successfully lit a candle. Then the other candles relit, one by one. The torch came back to life and the lights came on.  
"What?"

* * *

Sarah Jane's wrist computer came to life and the lights turned back on.  
"Weird."  
"Must be faulty."  
"Or the same thing that cut the electric off cut this off."

* * *

"Fantastic. Finally every station in the loop is working, but the stabilizer cuts out."  
"I'll work out how to fix it."  
"You bought those plans off that Wallarian. You took his word it worked."  
"I just need to sort out the storage problem, and then it'll stabilize, okay?"  
"Until then I'm stuck here, in this, teaching science on the planet Thick where they still haven't worked out string theory. Ooo, it chafes."  
"Oh, shut up. Don't you get it? We're nearly there. One more step and we destroy this planet!"

* * *

The next day on Bannerman Road, Sarah Jane walked Jenny and Luke outside to the sidewalk.  
Jenny pulled out her schedule. "Well Luke, looks like science is our first class today. Lab 2A, with Mr. Jeffrey."  
"You'll be fine. See you, then."  
Luke and Jenny walked on. Sarah Jane crossed the road to where Alan was forking the soil in the front garden.  
"Oh, hi. Oh, I'm not interrupting?"  
"No, no, no. Just making a start. Had a much bigger garden in the old house."  
"Oh, do you miss it?"  
"Yeah, well, needs must and all that. Shame though, I had a lot of plans for that old garden. Just didn't plan on my wife running off with a judo instructor. You ever been married?"  
"No. Never found time."  
"Wise move. Anyway, sorry?"  
"Oh yes, I was just wondering, that school you mentioned in Upminster. Saint Cheldons?"  
Sarah Jane followed Alan inside.  
"I'm sure I've still got the plans here somewhere. Yeah, here we go." Alan pulled out the plans to the school and showed them to Sarah Jane. "Cost a fortune. They had broadband installed, the works."  
"Where did the money come from?"  
"I don't know. Private funding. What sort of journalist are you exactly?"  
"Oh, just this and that. Local stories. Nothing exciting."  
"Maria was saying you'd travelled a fair bit?"  
"You could say that, yeah. What's that bit there?" She pointed to a section of the plans. "It's blank."  
"I never went in. Coldfire kept that to themselves. It was all sealed off."  
"There's no door."  
"What, you reckon they're hiding something, do you?"  
"Ooo, something mysterious inside a school. That would be ridiculous, wouldn't it?"  
"Just a bit."  
"Do you mind if I keep this?"  
"No."

* * *

The bell rang as students filed into Mr. Jeffery's science class. Jenny, Luke and Clyde sat at one of the front tables.  
"A transformer" started Jeffery, "is an electrical device that changes the voltage of an alternating current supply, the AC supply, such as your… our main's electrical supply. Anybody know who invented the first transformer?"  
Luke and Jenny's hands shot up.  
He pointed at Luke. "You."  
"Faraday."  
"Correct."  
"Though he didn't know what he could use it for," added Jenny.  
"What?"  
Jenny blushed. "Faraday didn't know what he'd invented."  
Luke nodded. "I've thought about it, too. You could get rid of the transformers, get a better system and induct power instead."  
"Just pointing out," said Clyde, "I'm nothing to do with them."  
"Quiet! Name."  
"Clyde Langer."  
"Troublemaker. Noted."  
"Okay."  
Luke looked at him. "You're cool because you make trouble. Should I make trouble?"  
"I hear talking!" He sniffed the air as Clyde started eating something under the desk. "What are you doing?"  
"My pen's run out; I'm getting a new one."  
"Let me see that." Jeffery took the plastic bag away from Clyde and sniffed it. "Oh! What is it?"  
"Cold chip sandwich. Made it this morning. Not chancing my life in that canteen again."  
Tim dumped the bag in a vivarium.  
"Oi, what are you doing? You can't do that!"  
"You can wait until lunchtime and use the canteen like everybody else."  
"I'll report you for that."  
"Go on, try it." He farted and the school bell rang. "Right. For tomorrow, a thousand words on transformers."  
"Oh!"  
"Two thousand!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Sarah Jane was at St. Cheldons and speaking with the headmistress.  
"Oh, it's hopeless, Miss Smith. Even worse this term."  
"I believe you had the wiring in your new block re-installed."  
"Didn't do any good. Computers keep crashing. And look. Look at this."  
Someone watched on camera as she took an apple from her handbag.  
"Fresh this morning. Everything goes off. And there's that smell, like batteries."  
"And this all started when you got your new technology block? Doesn't anybody care? Hasn't anyone tried to work out what's wrong?"  
"One of the parent governors raised it at our meeting."  
"And?"  
"Fell off his bike the next morning. Three months in traction. Can't you feel it, Miss Smith? Like, a thunderstorm's coming."  
Sarah Jane looked up into the CCTV camera.  
"Hello, Miss Smith. Bwahahahahahaha."

* * *

Jeffery and Blakeman speed walked down the hall. "Incredible knowledge. This child, Luke Smith, he must be a freak."  
"You really think he can help us?"  
"Yes. We'll use him to solve the storage problem."  
"A fourteen year old human child?"  
"There's something's strange about him. These kids stink. Acne and grease and coats and crisps. But he smells… fresh. And then, there's the other one. She's smells fresh, too."  
"When can you get to them?"  
"Very soon. We have a rendezvous."

* * *

"Welcome to Lunchtime Science club. I had hoped for a slightly higher turnout, but never mind."  
"There's only us." He motioned to himself and Jenny.  
The fat boy walked in.  
"And me. Carl."  
"Luke. Pleased to meet you."  
"Jenny. Hi."  
"Carl's the science star of the school, supposedly. Though I imagine he's probably pretty rubbish compared to you. Take a look at this. Now, over the summer I've been having tons of jolly fun working on a new project. What do you make of this?"  
"Er..."  
"It's a model for a giant capacitor system," Jenny answered immediately.  
"And purely theoretical, of course," added Jeffery. "Nobody could possibly build anything like this for real."  
"You designed this?" asked Luke.  
"Yes. I'm wasted here. Do you like it?"  
"It's amazing. Let me see."  
"Now, I have a problem. My purely theoretical problem is... Anyone?"  
Jenny looked at the plan carefully. "Ooo, don't tell me. I know this. Oh, yeah. With this, you could store huge amounts of electrical energy. But there's a loophole. Here in the storage, it wouldn't stabilize."  
"That's my problem. Well done. Gold star." He turned to Carl. "No star."  
"You went wrong… here." Jenny pointed at a part of the plans.  
"You need to add an equation into the computer control," added Luke. He started writing lots of undefined Greek characters and other letters on the whiteboard. "Yeah?"  
"I'll take your word for it."  
"The power stabilizes; all your problems are over."  
"Yes, all of my problems are." He lowers his voice. "I don't know about yours, though."

* * *

Sarah Jane was in her car talking to Maria on the hands-free.  
"And that school has exactly the same problem as yours. So I'm off to Coldfire Construction."  
"Do you want me to do anything?" asked Maria.  
"Yeah. Have a look round. See if you can find where that smell's coming from."  
"Okay, see you later. Good luck!"  
Clyde walked over to Maria with a fish and chips takeaway.  
"Who was that, then?"  
"Nobody."

* * *

"Result."  
"Yes, that's it. And he just handed it over."  
"Hilarious. Humans. Even the clever ones are stupid."  
"At last we will be avenged! We'll finish this planet tonight."

* * *

Sarah Jane arrived at Coldfire Construction, on an industrial estate.

* * *

Back at the school, Jenny and Luke caught up with Maria.  
"Someone looks happy," said Maria. "I had double maths this afternoon."  
"Science club was brilliant. Mr. Jeffrey's really nice. I think we're going to be friends."  
"You don't make friends with a teacher," Jenny told him.  
"Why not?"  
"You just don't."  
Maria interrupted. "Anyway, look, Sarah Jane phoned me. She wants us to look inside the new block."  
Clyde walked over to them. "What are you doing?"  
"We're investigating the new block," Luke told him at the same time the girls said, "I left something in the new block."  
"What is it with you three? I've seen weird people. I know weird people. But you three? You're beyond weird."  
"Go find some normal people then."

* * *

Sarah Jane went inside Coldfire Construction and noticed that it was a very tatty place for an international building firm. She walked down the hall and was confronted by a large woman.  
"Can I help you?"

* * *

Jenny and Luke walked down the hall with Clyde on their tails.  
"That's not right," muttered Jenny.  
"I want answers. Where are you from?" asked Clyde.  
"London," answered Luke.  
"Cardiff. The layout of this building doesn't make any sense."  
"But where have you been all your life? You don't know farting's funny, you let your mum kiss you in public. Where was your last school?"  
"I've never been to school before."  
"What, your mum taught you at home?"  
"No. And Sarah Jane isn't my mum."  
"There are sixteen classrooms in this building," continued Jenny.  
Clyde stopped them.  
"Hold on. So what's Sarah Jane to you?"  
"She adopted me," said Luke.  
"Why don't you call her Mum?"  
"She doesn't want me to."  
Jenny started walking again, pulling Luke with her.  
"But what about your real mum and dad?"  
"I haven't got a mum or dad."  
"Everybody's got a mum and dad. I have a dad, somewhere."  
"This block measures about one thousand five hundred and thirty nine meters squared, so double that for both floors." Jenny gave an exasperated sigh. "The area of each room doesn't add up to that."  
"So there's an empty space. Through there." Luke turned to Clyde. "I think you should go home."

* * *

Sarah Jane sat in the large woman's office.  
"So what are you saying about our company then?" asked the woman.  
"Miss?"  
"Oh, you can call me Janine."  
"Janine. I've been reading up as much as I could. It's not just these school projects in London. You've moved from country to country, hiring cheap local labor, no questions asked."  
"Yes?"  
Sarah Jane flipped open her notebook. "At your building in Santiago, workers refuse to go in. Food goes off. Endless technical problems. Va-lencia, Paris, the same story. And another thing. The plans for each building have a large empty area behind a wall. Why is that?"

* * *

Luke looked at the wall. Jenny and Clyde stood on either side of him.  
"There's another room," Luke started, "a secret room, behind there."  
"Okay, I'll tell you this…"  
"But how do you get inside?" asked Jenny.  
"Oh, I'm not getting through here. Stop being _strange_!"  
Clyde walked away and left Luke and Jenny alone.

* * *

Maria walked into the empty computer room. The door opened again and Maria hid under a desk as Jeffery entered.  
"Who's that? Hello? I know you're in here. I can smell you. Oh, a little girl. Fresh as a daisy. Sugar and spice and all things nice. She really shouldn't be hanging around school after home time. Not when I've got no reason to hide in this stupid skin any longer."

* * *

Sarah Jane continued on. "I think that because these projects are so far apart, nobody connects you with the problems, so on you go."  
"I strongly advise you to leave right now. If you know what's good for you."  
"Is that a threat?"  
"Yes."  
"What?"

* * *

"After all, why should I hide?"  
He unzipped his forehead.

* * *

"Well, that was your last chance, Miss Smith. Be fair. I did give you fair warning."  
Janine unzipped her forehead.

* * *

Maria looked under the desk. Jeffery's body suit fell to the floor, and the big green alien stretched to full height.  
"I am Slitheen!"  
Maria ran as fast as she could.  
"Oh, I love it when they run!"

* * *

Blakeman was watching Luke and Jenny on a screen. He pulled up the coms system.  
"Your Luke Smith's too clever by half. He and the other genius girl are right outside."

* * *

"There's another one. I'm after her now. Oh, it feels good, after so long."

* * *

"Rejoice in your hunt, brother!"

* * *

"I know you're in here, I can smell you. Mmm, what lovely perfume you're wearing, Miss Smith! You're positively fragrant!"

* * *

Maria caught up with Clyde.  
"We are out of here now. Come on!"  
"What?"  
"Where're Luke and Jenny?"  
"I know you're out there, girl," called Jeffery.  
"That's only Mister Jeffrey," said Clyde.  
"And there's another one. A boy!"  
"You are sad. Hiding from a teacher. What's he going to do? Ooh, give you a detention?"  
Then the Slitheen came around the corner.  
"Come on!"  
"Oh, no. Oh, no!"

* * *

Sarah Jane hid behind some boxes.  
"Run! It's no fun if you don't run!" Janine knocked over the boxes. "The smell of human fear, love it!"

* * *

"Kiddies! Kiddiewinks! Run as fast as you can, I'm coming to find you."

* * *

Meanwhile, Luke and Jenny were pacing at the end of a corridor.  
"It's a door," stated Jenny. "And every door must have a door handle."  
"About here?" Luke put his hand on the wall panel and it slide open.  
Maria and Clyde hid under the stairs.  
"Children, children, come to me."  
"We've got to get out of here," said Maria.  
Clyde shook his head. "We can't. We need to fight them."  
"Quick, in here!"  
Luke and Jenny went into the secret room.  
"Wow," Jenny breathed.  
"So, children," Jenny and Luke spun around to see Blakeman, "how do you like our little science project?"  
Maria, Clyde and Carl ran into an empty class room.  
"So where's Jeffrey?" asked Clyde. "I heard him."  
"That's Jeffrey, that thing chasing us," explained Maria.  
"Oh, I'll believe it. Why not?"  
Maria turned to Carl. "Thanks. Is there a way out through here?"  
"No. There's no way out."  
Carl farted and unzipped his forehead.  
"Oh, no."  
Carl gave an evil laugh. "I am a child of the Slitheen, and this is my hunt!"

* * *

_NEXT TIME…_  
_"Get it open!"_  
_"It's locked. That thing's real, isn't it?"_

* * *

_"I was wrong. It is aliens."_

* * *

_"The outcast Slitheen family are scavengers known to infiltrate low-tech planets by hiding in the skins of the dominant native species."_

* * *

_"Mr. Smith, I need you!"_  
_"Is that a computer?"_

_"Turn out the sun."_

* * *

_"They've switched off the sun!"_  
_"I told you! We're going to stop them!"_  
_"What the five of us? With vinegar in plastic squeezies?"_

* * *

_"Daddy, you promised I could do it."_

* * *

_"I think an adult better deal with them this time."_

* * *

**AN: ****So there it is! Chapter 3, part 1, on Wednesday, as promised. You're welcome everybody. Please favorite, follow, and review, it means a lot to me and it also helps me write faster *wink wink, nudge nudge* Alright, next chapter will be on April 4th which is a Friday.**


	5. Revenge of the Slitheen Part 2

Chapter 4-Revenge of the Slitheen Part 2

_LAST TIME…_

_"I'm feeling anxious."_

_"So am I."_

_"But you've been to school before."_

_"Not this one."_

* * *

_"Name."_

_"Clyde Langer."_

_"Troublemaker."_

* * *

_"What's wrong with this place? It stinks. The food's rotten. Something weird's going on here."_

* * *

_"That's a bit flashy."_

_"It's a brand new building. There was an article about it in the paper."_

* * *

_"I did an IT job on a school that looked exactly like that."_

_"Was it built by Coldfire Construction?"_

* * *

_"Can I help you?"_

* * *

_"You think he can help?"_

_"Yes. We'll use him to solve the storage problem."_

_"A fourteen year old human child?"_

* * *

_"Lights out, London."_

* * *

_"Have a look around. See if you can find where that smell's coming from."_

* * *

_"She really shouldn't be hanging around school after home time."_

* * *

_"Is that a threat?"_

_"Yes."_

* * *

_"Come on!"_

* * *

_"Run! It's no fun if you don't run! The smell of human fear, love it!"_

* * *

_"Is there a way out through here?"_

_"No. There's no way out."_

* * *

_"So, children, how do you like our little science project?"_

* * *

_"I am a child of the Slitheen and this is my hunt!"_

* * *

"Run."

* * *

"Come on, boy. Don't you want a closer look?"

Blakeman lunged for Luke, who dodged and ran out of the secret room with Jenny behind.

* * *

Slitheen Janine has got Sarah Jane within reach.

"Good sense of smell, have you?" asked Sarah Jane.

"Oh, yes best nostrils in the galaxy, official."

"And you like my perfume?"

"Lovely."

"Then sniff this."

Sarah Jane sprayed Janine's face with the contents of the bottle in her handbag, and then smashed it on the floor. Janine screamed with pain as Sarah Jane ran to the door, soniced it open and drove off.

* * *

Luke and Jenny met up with Maria and Clyde at the door to the block.

"We've found a secret room."

"Not now."

Maria and Clyde pulled on the handles to the automatic doors. They wouldn't open.

"Get it open."

"It's locked. That thing's real, isn't it?" asked Clyde.

"It's real," responded Jenny.

"This place is sealed. You're finished, right here, right now."

"This way."

Maria and Jenny ran past Carl. The boys headed up the stairs.

"Maria!"

"Hurry up!"

* * *

Sarah Jane made a hands-free call as she sped down the road.

"Luke?"

"Sarah Jane."

"I was wrong. It is aliens."

* * *

"Yeah, I know."

He held the phone out for her to hear Jeffery Slitheen roaring.

"Right, listen."

Luke turned to Clyde. "She said make a smell. Make a big enough smell and you'll get away."

"What'll we do, fart our way out?"

"Would that be funny?"

"What?"

"Come out, little ones," called Jeffery.

"They're nearby, Daddy. I can smell you."

"A strong smell," said Clyde, "think."

"A skunk?" suggested Luke.

Clyde takes an aerosol deodorant from his rucksack. "Yes."

"Wolverine. Pure masculine action."

The Slitheen came round the corner and got facefuls of perfumed spray. They stopped, coughing.

"Go, go, go!"

Luke and Clyde ran downstairs as Sarah Jane drove up outside.

"Hunt them."

"Wait for us." Jenny and Maria ran up to the doors.

"Sarah Jane!"

"Come on, Sarah Jane!"

Sarah Jane soniced the doors open with her lipstick.

"Into the car."

"Come on, hurry."

She soniced the door locked again just as Blakeman and the Slitheen arrive.

"What's that?" asked Clyde.

"Sonic lipstick."

"Oh, of course."

"What is he doing here?" asked Sarah Jane.

"Sorry." Maria and Jenny said.

"Someone else's life in my hands. Just what I needed."

"They're getting away."

"That's not fair, Daddy," whined Carl. "That woman cheated. I want my hunt."

"Come here."

"That woman had some sort of sonic disruptor," said Blakeman. "This is a level five planet, they're primitives. How did she get that? Who is she?"

"The galactic police," suggested Jeffery. "She could be one of their agents."

"No, she's human. She smelt soupy. They all do. Still, if that's her only weapon, she's no big deal."

"Daddy, I want my hunt."

"You'll have your hunt later, I promise. Tonight's the night the lights go out."

* * *

Sarah Jane pulled up outside of her house. Everyone got out.

"I want answers. I've just been chased by aliens and you aren't even freaking out. Why? Who are you?" asked Clyde.

"You've got to go home," Maria told him. "Forget this ever happened. Go home."

"No, I'm part of this now. I want to find out the truth. What's in there and who's that woman?"

Jenny whispered to Sarah Jane. "Want me to retcon him?"

"No!"

"It was just a suggestion," Jenny muttered as she, Sarah Jane and Luke went inside.

"Just leave us alone, okay?"

"The police won't leave you alone when call them and tell them what happened. Show me."

"Okay."

* * *

"At last. We've waited so long for this moment," said Blakeman.

"Times have been hard," agreed Jeffery.

"They've been closing in on us from all sides. Judoon, forcing us out, the other families against us. This will give us a new beginning. Wealth, security."

"When we have the money, what then?"

"We'll buy a fleet of battle cruisers. Return home to Raxacoricofallapatorius. I shall smite the Grand Council, crush the Senate. The Blathereen and the Hostrozeen will beg for mercy at my feet! But we mustn't get carried away. First things first. We have the equation. Nothing can stop us. Now it begins."

* * *

Sarah Jane read from her tiny wrist computer screen.

"The inhabitants of Raxa, Raxa. Oh."

Jenny peered at the screen. "Raxacoricofallapatorius."

"The outcast Slitheen Family are scavengers, thieves of others technology. Known to infiltrate low-tech planets by hiding in the skins of the dominant native species."

"Slitheen in Downing Street."

"What?" asked Luke.

Jenny shook herself. "Something I just remembered."

"Gas exchange from skin compression often results in..."

"Farting. Farting's funny."

Clyde and Maria entered.

"Right, what's going on in here?"

"Why don't you bring all your friends round?" asked Sarah Jane. "The whole school."

"What friends?" muttered Jenny.

Maria sighed. "If he tells anyone, who's going to believe him?"

"Whoa, wait. I've just had monsters from outer space on my back and no one's telling me what's going on."

"Shut up for the minute, will you. I'm busy, and right now you're not important. Even if it is getting like Clapham Junction up here. Right. The Slitheen must have taken over Coldfire Construction, put up buildings all around the world. Why?"

"I think know," said Luke. "There's a hidden room in the school. Jenny and I saw inside."

"What's in there?" asked Maria.

"I've got a theory. Mister Smith could help."

"Who's that," asked Clyde, "your dad?"

"Mister Smith, I need you."

The brick fireplace cracked open to reveal the supercomputer. "Good afternoon, Sarah Jane."

"Oh, yes. Is that a computer?"

"Who's that?"

"Nobody. Mister Smith, Luke would like some help."

"Certainly. Hello, Luke."

"Hello, Mister Smith. Bring up our satellite image of London. Now plot the exact positions of every school put up by Coldfire Construction. Ealing, that's us."

"St Cheldon's Comp, Upminster. Schools at Epping, Amersham, Richmond, Morden," listed Jenny.

"The ends of tube lines," said Clyde. "If I'm allowed to speak. This is real. All of it's real. The talking computer's real, the Slitheens are real. Oh, yes."

"Mister Smith, plot the position of every Coldfire building put up in the last eighteen months in the world."

"Accessing."

"Paris, Sydney, Beijing. They're not all capital cities; they're spread out all over the place. They look pretty random."

"I know. Underground railways," said Jenny. "They've all got underground railways."

"You don't have to thank me."

"Link them."

"London, Barcelona, Washington DC, Santiago, Los Angeles, Sydney, Beijing, Moscow, Naples, Paris."

"There's at least one Slitheen at every site," muttered Luke.

"And there are ten cities," said Clyde. "Ten sites. Right, call the army."

Jenny grunted. "Oh right, because that always makes things better, doesn't it?"

"It's not your job."

"There's a cleverer way of going about things. But what's it all for? What are they doing? The secret room, what was in there?" asked Sarah Jane.

"Sarah Jane. I've done something really stupid. A really bad social mistake. I told the Slitheen how to destroy the world."

* * *

"I've input the boy's catalyst equation. Now it works perfectly. We'll take the night side first; Build up the charge section by section. And then… This is Glune Fex Fize Sharleveer-Slam Slitheen to all Slitheen units. Is everybody ready?"

* * *

"It wasn't working until I went and gave them the answers."

"Oh, Luke."

"The power cut last night was a test run."

"But our candles went out and that's not electric," said Maria.

"When the capacitors are charged up they act as transducers, converting heat and light into electrical energy," explained Mr. Smith. "That's how the loop works, it's not connected physically."

Maria looked at Jenny. "But what has underground railways got to do with that?"

"The system must generate enormous heat. The underground railways must act as a cooling system."

"Oh, I'm glad we sorted that out."

"People getting ill, food going off, that's the effect of living or working next to the capacitors."

"Indeed," agreed Mr. Smith. "Even on standby, the transducers would cause cellular decay in organic matter."

"With this system they can drain every last drop of energy from the Earth," explained Luke. "Our school's the last link in the chain."

"But it needs the whole chain all together to do that?" asked Maria.

"Yeah."

"We bomb the school?" suggested Clyde.

"If we could get in there, could you destroy the power system safely?" asked Sarah Jane.

"I think so. If we reset the system, shut it down for just a second. I'd need a cutting tool."

"What about this?" Jenny pulled out what looked like a pen with a light on the top.

"What's that?"

"Sonic pen."

"Yeah and how do we get past the Slitheen?" asked Maria.

"We bomb them?"

"Sarah Jane, I've just picked up this report on an American news channel."

_"Breaking news. There's a massive loss of power on the west coast of North America. Los Angeles has gone dark." _

"It's starting."

"And I told them how to do it. The day I was born I saved the world. Now I've helped to destroy it."

* * *

"It works."

"Section one down. Grazie, Napoli. Thank you. Moving to Section two. Hello, Washington DC."

"Howdy, London."

"Connect."

* * *

"Mister Smith, give me everything you've got on the inhabitants of…"

"Raxacoricofallapatorius," finished Luke.

"You're making that up."

"Any weaknesses. Anything we can use to fight them."

"Accessing."

"Anybody could have made that mistake," said Maria.

"No, only he could."

"Clyde!" Jenny smacked him on the arm.

"Well, duh. Let's have a High School Musical moment. A group hug will sort everything out."

"You're right. As if a teacher could have worked out that diagram."

"I was there, too," said Jenny. "I should have noticed. So, it's my fault, too."

"_And the power loss is spreading westwards. China is now without power, and it may be only a matter of time before the effect spreads here. Oh."_

"I have lost the signal."

"Anything on the Slitheen yet?" asked Sarah Jane.

"Accessing."

"Come on!"

* * *

"Section nine, clear. Dormez bien, Paris."

"That makes us next."

"So, synchronize the mega-wattage."

"Er…"

"Oh, for the love of Clom."

* * *

"Mister Smith does like to take his time."

"Come on."

"Raxacoricofallapatorians. Calcium-based life-forms."

"Give us the weaknesses."

"Weaknesses. They are a naturally hardy race. However, their bodies are notoriously hyper-sensitive to..."

The power went out.

"No!"

* * *

Alan listened to the radio as he put something in the microwave.

_"The Prime Minister has promised the blackouts will not affect the UK." _

The power went out.

"Thank you, Prime Minister."

* * *

"We can't stop them without the sonics," sighed Jenny.

"It's real. The end of the world, thanks to him."

"Will you shut up!" shouted Maria.

"No Mister Smith, no sonics, no plan B. But we are the only people in the world who can stop this. And we will. Time to go back to school."

Sarah Jane ran down the stairs with the kids in tow.

"Without the sonic thing we can't stop them," said Clyde. "Plus they'll get us before we even reach there."

"If you can't say anything useful, go home." Sarah Jane opened the door.

"Wait. This morning, Jeffery, the Slitheen Jeffrey, he went mad when he nicked my bag."

"So?"

"What's a Slitheen gonna care about that? You two saw him. He sniffed it. He was scared."

"What was in your bag?"

"My books, some Tangfastics, and my lunch."

"Well, what was in your lunch?"

"Cold chip sandwich. I made it this morning. I wasn't going to eat anything from the canteen of death."

"So what, the Slitheen are allergic to potato? Bread? Butter?" asked Maria.

"No, no, no. The Slitheen in the office, she was eating a sandwich. What was on those chips?" asked Sarah Jane.

"Just salt and vinegar."

"Salt. Must be it."

"If the Slitheen are made mostly of water," said Luke, "it would dehydrate them, like slugs."

"No, they put extra salt in everything. Bread, butter. It's got to be something else. It's got to be the vinegar."

"Vinegar, that's acetic acid. It reacts with calcium," explained Jenny.

"Slitheen are made of calcium. I'm right. It's the vinegar."

"Kitchen!"

They ran to the kitchen and took everything with vinegar out of the cupboards.

"So what are we going to do, just stand there and throw pickled eggs at them?" asked Clyde.

Sarah Jane pulled out plastic spray containers. "Get it all into these."

"I was joking."

They get all vinegar in the house into the bottles.

"The car's not going to start. How do we get back to school?" asked Maria.

"We run."

* * *

"The capacitors are charged. Time for the coup de grace. The denouement."

"Daddy, you promised I could do it," whined Carl.

"It's appropriate, don't you think? We are doing this for our children."

"Yes. A new beginning for a new generation of Slitheen. Go ahead, lad. Turn out the sun."

Carl pulled the big lever.

* * *

The group ran down the street that was full of cars.

"The car just stopped. Engine's dead. They're all dead."

"Right, so all this fighting aliens stuff, you've been doing it for years?" asked Clyde.

"Not now, Clyde."

"What, did you actually go up to the career guy at school and say, I want to defend the planet from alien invaders?"

"Not exactly."

"What happened? How did it start?"

"It's a long story. If we survive, I'll be happy to tell you."

Then it suddenly got dark. They stopped.

"What's going on?"

"It's transduction, like the candles," explained Luke.

"They've switched off the sun."

"They're draining its power."

"It's getting cold."

"We've got about thirty two and a half minutes," warned Jenny.

"Everyone's gonna die."

"I told you, we're going to stop them."

"What, the five of us? With vinegar in plastic squeezies?"

* * *

Chrissie ran up to the Jackson home and hammered on the door. Alan opened the door.

"Alan, where's Maria?"

"She's at her mate's, I think. "

"You think? This is the end of the world."

"It's a power cut, Chrissie." Alan stepped outside. "It was on the news. I don't know, the nights are drawing in and you think it's the end of the world."

"Look out there. The sun's blue, it's freezing. Where is Maria? Where is she?"

* * *

Carl spotted them on the CCTV. "Daddy, she's come back."

"So what? She's an old woman with a funny lipstick. End of."

"My hunt!"

"Uh huh. I think an adult'd better deal with them this time."

Blakeman unzipped his forehead.

* * *

The group walked in the technology block.

"They just let us walk in here," said Clyde.

"They want us here."

"Well, what luck, because we want to be in here. The secret room?" asked Sarah Jane.

"It's this way." Jenny turned a corner and ran into Blakeman.

"Oh, human children. The stench of Haribo and chicken nuggets."

"Get off this planet," ordered Sarah Jane.

"Hush now. It's time to hunt. The hunt is an instinct with us. The only way to keep our food safe in the days when the Baaraddelskelliumfatrexius beasts wandered the plains of Raxacoricofallapatorius."

"The what?" asked Clyde.

"They're sort of like giant squirrels," explained Jenny.

"We killed them all centuries ago, but the hunting instinct remains."

"Now!"

Maria and Clyde sprayed the vinegar and Blakeman backed away.

"Didn't like that, did you?"

"Vinegar. Get back."

"Sarah Jane, this way." Luke and Jenny started off to the secret room.

"Maria?"

"It's working. We're doing our bit, you do yours." Sarah Jane nodded and left with Jenny and Luke.

"One step further," threatened Clyde. He tried to spray the vinegar but the nozzle was blocked. Blakeman lunged for them. They back against a wall.

"Keep back."

"You're afraid. A Slitheen girl your age would do it. Wouldn't think twice. But all the fight's gone out of you. You just stand there shaking in your shoes. That's why we survive. That's why you're losers. All of you on this rubbish planet. That's why we win."

Maria pulls the top off the spray bottle and throws the vinegar into his face.

"Oops."

There was a rumble and Blakeman exploded. Green gunk went everywhere.

"Oh, great."

"I did it. I exploded the Headmaster."

* * *

"One of the Family. Something's wrong."

Carl pointed to the screen. "Daddy, look."

"It's Glune. He's been… vinegared. This is Kist Magg Thek Lutovin-Day Slitheen calling the Family. We are under attack. Glune Fex Fize is dead. Emergency Plan A. All operators here, now."

"Daddy."

"Everything's going to be all right."

The rest of the family beamed in, wearing their skin suits.

"They're here."

* * *

"In here."

* * *

Luke opened the door.

"And so are our uninvited guests."

Janine grabbed Sarah Jane, and a man grabbed Luke and Jenny.

"Behold, the capacitor," shouts Jeffery. "We drain the energy into these and store it. In ten minutes this planet's atmosphere gets snatched away, but we'll be safe and warm in here."

"And then a spacecraft picks us up and we sell everything we've collected," finished Janine.

"Why are you doing this?" demanded Jenny.

"The Family came here once before, just a routine job, but they never came back."

Sarah Jane gasped. "I think I might know what happened. Who happened."

"This planet will pay in blood. They were our Family."

"And Luke and Jenny are mine!"

"This will give us a new beginning. My son won't have to live like I've had to, cringing in the darkness."

"And I want my son to live, to grow up. I want what's best for him."

"Your stupid son gave us what we needed."

"I didn't!"

"What?"

"I thought I did, but I didn't," Luke replied. "You made the mistake. When you showed me the diagram, you didn't tell me that you were going to steal power from the sun. It'll explode."

"It's a bluff!" yelled Janine.

"What's a bluff?"

"Florm?"

"Well, the boy _might_ be right."

They heard a loud bang.

"It's happening. Turn it off."

Clyde and Maria ran in with their squeeze bottles aimed at the Slitheen. "You heard her, turn it off. There's vinegar in this."

Two more people grab Maria and Clyde. "Water. _That's_ a bluff," said Janine.

"I knew that wouldn't work," muttered Maria.

"If I reset the system, you can cancel the overload, make it safe?" asked Jeffery.

Luke hesitated. "Yes."

"Right. Son, reset the system."

Carl pushed the big lever back. The sun brightened up again. The man let go of Luke but kept his hold on Jenny.

"It's reset. The system's off. Now I just have to synchronize the mega-wattage. Now!"

Sarah Jane, Maria and Clyde freed themselves. Jenny threw her head back and hit the man that was holding her.

"Daddy."

"Mum!"

"Luke!" Sarah Jane threw the sonic lipstick to Luke.

"Get him!"

The Slitheen chased Luke through the machinery. He managed to cut some wires with the lipstick.

"It's going to blow up," yelled Janine.

"Out, now!" Sarah Jane shoved the kids outside. Except for Jenny, who was fighting off the Slitheen that weren't chasing Luke.

"It's out of control."

"Wait for me." The rest of the Slitheen beamed out. Janine got caught in an electric field and blew up. Luke and Jenny ran out.

"Resynchronize the mega-wattage. Quickly, we've got to get out of here."

The door closes on Jeffery and Carl, trapping them.

"You can't leave us in here. Use your sonic device, open the door. Open the door!" shouted Jeffery.

"I'm only twelve."

"He's my son. Please, let him live."

Jenny pulled out her sonic pen.

"You can't let them out, Jen."

Clyde's words triggered a painful memory Jenny had been trying to suppress.

_"You can't let me out, Jen. You've got to save yourself!"_

_"Daniel Valentine, I'm not leaving you!"_

The memory faded and Jenny was brought back to the real world. But before she could act, the energy buildup disintegrated Jeffery, then Carl exploded and the door closed. The lights came back on.

"It burnt itself out."

"We did it!"

"He was a child," Jenny murmured, "twelve years old." Tears leaked down her cheeks.

"It was them or us."

"No!"

"What?"

"That is not an option in my book." She stalked off.

"What was that about?" asked Clyde.

Sarah Jane stared after her. "She lost someone very close to her in a similar way."

"What happened?" asked Maria.

"A long time ago, back when Jenny was blonde, she traveled with a man named Daniel Valentine." Sarah Jane started walking at a very slow pace. "One day, they were having an adventure, as usual. They were trying to stop a bomb from going off. Jenny and Daniel tried as hard as they could, but they couldn't stop it. They realized this and got everyone out of the building. The person who had planted the bomb saw this. After Jenny and Daniel were sure that they were the last ones in the building, they ran to the doors. Jenny got out in time, but the door closed on Daniel, trapping him."

"Oh, no!" whispered Maria.

"Oh, yes. Jenny tried to sonic the doors back opened, but the doors were deadlocked. He told her to save herself and she said that she wouldn't leave him. She tried to use force to open the door, but it was too late. The bomb went off. Jenny was blown back by the force, but Daniel had nowhere to go. He was caught in the blast. He died instantly."

"That… That's awful!" exclaimed Maria.

"Yes, she was devastated. Even when she crashed here, she was depressed all the time. She blamed herself for what had happened to him. And she's never gotten over it."

"But that was twenty five years ago, wasn't it?"

"Yes, but she loved him. She couldn't help it." Sarah Jane sighed. "We should go catch up with her."

They ran down the hall and found Jenny sitting by the door. She looked up when she heard them coming.

Sarah Jane held out a hand. Jenny took it and Sarah Jane pulled her to her feet. "Let's go home." Jenny nodded. They walked out of the school building. When they reached Bannerman Road, Sarah Jane pulled out her phone.

"Some of the Slitheen got away," said Clyde. "I saw them vanish."

"The machine's useless now," said Jenny. "We broke the chain."

"Except there's buildings round the world with secret rooms and all that alien machinery inside," countered Maria.

"Bye now. Love to the Brig." Sarah Jane hung up her phone. "Just sorted that. Some friends of mine are going to clear it all up."

"Friends from UNIT?" asked Maria.

"Mmm hmm."

"What's UNIT," asked Clyde, "a furniture shop?"

The group turned onto Sarah Jane's drive to be confronted with Chrissie and Alan. "Where were you? Come here. Oh, where've you been?"

"We just went up town, grabbed some burgers," replied Maria.

"The power went off. I was so worried."

"Now it's back on."

Chrissie turned to Sarah Jane. "Oh, Sally Anne," she hugged Sarah Jane, "bless you for looking after my Maria. My head was full of terrible things that could have happened."

Alan rolled his eyes. "Okay, where have you really been?"

"What do you mean?"

"Such a useless liar."

Chrissie sighed. "Oh, shut up, Alan. Did you see the sun? It went blue. I mean I've heard of a blue moon, that's quite romantic, but it was terrifying."

The Jacksons walked over to their house.

"I was just going to make tea," Alan told Chrissie. "Are you staying?"

"Er, don't tell me. Tuesday, Spanish omelet."

"As it happens."

"So predictable. Go on then, twist my arm. Just this once, I'll suffer your cooking."

"That's brilliant."

"Oh, sweetheart." Chrissie pulled Maria in for a hug. "I may not live here, but at least I'm still looking after you."

"Right, because I'm so useless," commented Alan.

"You are. The sun went out and you lost her. She was off gallivanting with Suzie Q."

"Sarah Jane. Her name is Sarah Jane."

"Oh, whatever. Sarah Jane." Alan went into the kitchen and Chrissie and Maria sat on the couch. "Tell you what, though. Funny things have been happening ever since you moved in here. I'm beginning to get suspicious."

"Suspicious of what?" asked Maria.

"Well, think about it, right. You move in, opposite Sarah Jane and everyone turns into zombies. Then you're with Sarah Jane and the pop factory blows up. Then you're running off with Sarah Jane and the sun goes out. Just ask yourself what have those things got in common? Or rather, who have they got in common, eh?"

"I don't know."

"Me. It's all happening to me. I just can't move for disasters. It's like I'm cursed." Maria hugged Chrissie. "What's that for, sweetheart?"

"It's because you're cursed."

* * *

Over at Sarah Jane's, Sarah Jane walked into the living room to see Clyde holding a small vase.

"Here's your reward, a nice cuppa. Oh, do you mind? Just make sure you put that back where it belongs."

"Is this from outer space?" asked Clyde, spinning it in his hands.

"No, Venezuela." Clyde put the vase back on the end table. "You ask too many questions, Clyde."

"Too late to stop me now."

"I suppose. That's how I got started, asking questions."

"But you never told me. How did you discover all this stuff, aliens and things?"

"I met this man called the Doctor. He was an alien, too."

"What like a big green thing?"

"No, he looked just like you and me, except he was nothing like you and me. He took me out into space far away from Earth."

"You travelled through space?"

"And time. I saw planets and galaxies and all sorts of creatures, things you would never imagine."

"So where is he now, then, this Doctor?"

"Still out there, still wandering, still wonderful. And he left me behind. With his legacy, I suppose. To help and to protect. To make a stand and to never give up."

"He sounds cool."

"Cool? Yeah."

"So, are you going to see him again?"

"I hope so. The thing is, Clyde, you can't tell anyone about all these things. It's got to be our secret. Can I trust you?"

"Yeah. Promise."

"Thank you."

"Sarah Jane," shouted Luke, "Maria's here."

"Coming," she shouted back.

"He's gone back to calling you Sarah Jane?" asked Clyde. "It should be Mum."

"Do you think?"

"Yeah, tell him."

"Yeah, I don't know how."

Clyde snuck upstairs as Sarah Jane went to go greet Maria. He opened the door to the attic and saw that Mr. Smith was still out.

"Diagnostic checks completed," informed Mr. Smith. "All systems are functioning normally."

"All right. While they're downstairs, where are you from?"

"All systems are functioning normally."

"Who built you?" Clyde started messing with some of the controls.

"All systems are functioning normally. Beware your curiosity, boy."Mr. Smith gave Clyde a small electric shock, and chuckled.

"Freak weather conditions?" Maria's voice rang up the stairs. Clyde turned around as Sarah Jane, Luke, Maria, and Jenny entered the attic.

"Temporary reversals of the Earth's magnetic poles," corrected Luke.

"That's the one. Mr. Smith, start a rumor. Insert the words 'Temporary Reversal of the Earth's Magnetic Poles' into media reports."

"Confirmed."

"I can't believe we can't tell anyone," Clyde remarked. "I should get millions for what I did today."

"We all did it," muttered Jenny.

"But who worked out the vinegar? Thank you, Clyde Langer."

Maria rolled her eyes. "Me and Jenny will walk you to the bus stop."

Clyde turned back to Sarah Jane as Jenny and Maria tried to usher him out. "You were right. This is great. Weird, but great. And you lot need me. I can't believe you were going to save those Slitheen. They tried to destroy the entire planet. Billions of people. What was the big dilemma?"

Jenny put her hand on his shoulder. "Bus stop."

This time, Clyde turned to Luke. "You were good. And if anyone says you're not cool, I'll set them right." He shook hands with Luke then left with Maria and Jenny.

"He's right," commented Sarah Jane when the other three had left. "Oh, you were amazing. Again."

"I nearly destroyed everything," Luke replied. "I messed up."

"I messed up. New block, the strangeness of it? Of all people, I should have seen it. Instead, oh, I sent you, Jenny and Maria right in there and that was nearly the end of you."

"But I'm still here. Always will be. Mum."

* * *

_NEXT TIME…_

_"The Lavender Lawns rest home is apparently being haunted by a nun."_

* * *

_"Help me!"_

* * *

_"Doesn't Mr. Smith believe in ghosts?"_

_"Not as such. And neither do I."_

* * *

_"When weirdo nuns turn up on your doorstep, asking about glowing alien gizmos, one thing you never do is tell them you've got one."_

* * *

_"The talisman's dangerous?"_

_"More than you could imagine."_

_"No way! Jenny!"_

* * *

_"The Abbess will want to see you."_

_"The Abbess?"_

* * *

_"It's Jenny. She's been taken by the nun."_

* * *

_"Are you really protecting a Gorgon here?"_

_"A creature with writhing serpents for hair?"_

* * *

_"The Sisters! They protect her."_

_"Look upon the face of the Gorgon and feel your flesh turn to stone."_

* * *

**So there it is! Chapter 4, as promised. You're welcome everybody. Remember, reviews help me write faster. Alright, next chapter will be on April 15th which is a Tuesday. I'm also considering writing a Easter chapter. If you want me to do that, review and tell me so. **


	6. Eye of the Gorgon Part 1

**AN: Hey everyone. I'm having to update this today instead of Tuesday because I'm grounded and shouldn't be on the computer in the first place, according to my parents. But, you know, at least I'm updating sooner than later so you all won't think that I had abandoned the story or something of that nature. So here it is, chapter 5, Eye of the Gorgon Part 1. Enjoy! (creepily walks back into the shadows)**

* * *

Chapter 5-Eye of the Gorgon Part 1

Lavender Lawns rest home, night. An owl hooted and a figure walked across the grounds. A woman resident woke up and felt a presence in her room.

"Hello? Who's there?" She looked over at the figure, who was illuminated by the moonlight. "The nun! Help me! She's here!"

She turned her bedside light on, and the figure had vanished.

"The nun! The nun!"

* * *

Sarah Jane was driving down a country lane. Luke and Clyde are in the back seat with Jenny in the front.

"My Nan and Mrs. Randall go way back," Clyde started. "She used to live next door until her old fellow died. Nan says there's no way Mrs. Randall sees things or makes things up.

"And it's not just her that's been scared by this ghostly nun?" asked Sarah Jane. "Other residents have seen it, too?"

They arrive at Lavender Lawns.

"Yeah, always at night, in their rooms."

* * *

"Nora Connelly saw her first." Sarah Jane, Clyde, Jenny and Luke were in Mrs. Randall's room. "She'd been to the loo. Oh! Dreadful trouble she has with her waterworks. Three or four times every night. She comes out of the bathroom and there she is. The nun. By her chest of drawers."

"And what happened?" asked Sarah Jane.

"Well, she fainted clean away like a schoolgirl. No constitution at all. Surprised, the amount of times she's been married. Since then, most of us have seen her. Them that's not too ga-ga not to notice, anyways."

Jenny looked back out the window and saw another old woman looking in.

"Well, thank you for your help, Mrs. Randall."

"So, um, will there be a photographer? You wouldn't think it, but I was in all the papers once. Miss Ealing of 1951." The kids exchanged disbelieving looks.

"Well, it depends. I'll have to talk to the manager first."

"While you do that, I've got a few little jobs for Clyde to do." Sarah Jane smiled and left with Luke. Jenny snickered at Clyde before leaving. "Your grandma said you wouldn't mind."

* * *

At the Jackson home, Alan mixed a cake while listening to the radio.

"Mmm. Delicious."

Chrissie walked in with a suitcase. "Oh! It's his own stupid fault. If he hadn't been spending so much time in the flaming office, I wouldn't even have thought of going to salsa classes, would I?"

"Salsa?"

"Ivan gets the hump, gets all possessive, and the next thing I know, Carlos is on the ballroom floor with a bloody nose."

"Carlos?"

Chrissie tasted the cake batter before answering. "Mmm. My salsa teacher."

"So Ivan's got the push, has he?"

"Don't get your hopes up. It's just a little nudge. Just to let him know what he stands to lose if he doesn't sharpen up."

"And you're planning on staying here, are you?"

"Well, where else am I going to go?" Maria walked in as she asked that. "It'll be like old times."

"Mum!" Maria ran over and hugged Chrissie.

* * *

The woman Jenny saw through the window was talking to herself.

"The Colonel won't believe us, darling. But who would? Better to keep mum. Sad. Better that way."

She stumbled on the steps and Jenny caught her as she walked by.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"Oh, yes, yes, yes," replied the woman. "Quite all right, thank you. Are you, um, one of the Colonel's children?"

"The Colonel? No, I..."

"I'm Bea Nelson-Stanley. I'm looking for my husband, the Professor. He said to meet him between the paws of the... Oh, what do you call it, the blessed thing, erm, the Sphinx."

"The Sphinx?" Jenny repeated.

"Yes."

"That's in Egypt."

Bea's face turned serious. "You're the girl in the window."

"My name's Jenny. We were visiting Mrs. Randall. She says this place is haunted by a nun. Have you seen her?"

"Yes, I have, and she's no ghost. There's something different about you. Oh, don't be afraid. It's all right; I've seen unusual people before. Perhaps you can help me."

* * *

Back inside, Sarah Jane handed her business card to the manageress as they spoke.

"I understand you're looking for a good story, Miss Smith. Might I suggest you try Westminster for something rather more newsworthy?"

"You don't believe Lavender Lawns is haunted, then?" asked Sarah Jane.

"One of the old dears has a nightmare. She tells her friend she's seen a ghost, then, next thing, what do you know? They've all seen one. It's hysteria, Miss Smith. It's as simple as that."

"Perhaps. Or maybe it's a cry for attention."

* * *

Bea led Jenny out to the gardens.

"We have to be quick, Jenny. In case anyone's watching."

"Who's watching?" Jenny asked as they stopped near a tree with ivy all over it.

"The er... Oh, for goodness' sake. I have these gaps. Um, hold this."

Jenny took Bea's walking stick while Bea got a tin box from behind the ivy.

"I knew they might find me one day. But I couldn't be parted from it. Foolish old woman."

She opened the box to reveal a large necklace with a central blue stone.

"What is it?"

It glowed as Bea touched it. "Never you mind. Just… Promise me, you will not tell anyone you have the talisman. And whatever you do, do not let _her_ get it. Do not let _her_ get it."

"Who?"

"Put it away. And promise me!"

Jenny put the box in her bag. "I promise. But who's after it?"

Bea stared into space then slowly turned back to Jenny. "Do I know you?"

"What?" Jenny sighed. "Come on, Mrs. Nelson-Stanley."

The manageress watched though binoculars as Jenny and Bea returned to the main house.

* * *

At the Jackson home, Maria was doing her homework.

"Anything I can help with?" asked Chrissie from the doorway.

"You and maths? I don't think so."

"At school the only figures I was interested in were fellows' phone numbers. Maybe we can do something together after you've finished? Go into town, do some more maths on my credit card?"

"I'd like to, Mum, but I said I'd go over Sarah Jane's later."

"Sarah Jane's?" repeated Chrissie. "Maria, come on. I'm your mum. What are you doing, always off gallivanting with those weirdos over the road for?"

"Uh, Sarah Jane, Jenny, and Luke aren't weirdos."

"Well, it's weird how much time you spend with them. And there's something about that boy. I really hope you don't fancy him. I don't know what it is, but he's not right."

"Well, you don't know anything about them!"

"I'm your mum, Maria. I'm just trying to protect you."

"I don't need you to protect me."

"Come on, darling, every girl needs her mum."

"Yeah? How come you walked out on me, then?"

"Maria…"

"Get out! Get out!"

Chrissie got up and left. Maria kicked her pencil box in frustration.

* * *

"Why is it" asked Clyde "old people want you to do everything for them? Turn the mattress over. Move things around on the top shelf. Take that spider out the bath. I came here looking for spooks, not jobs."

"Everyone gets old, Clyde," responded Sarah Jane. "Even you."

"Ah, no, not me. Way technology's moving, by the time I'm forty, I can get my brain put in a robot and live forever."

"Oh..."

Jenny ran up the stairs and joined them.

"Where've you been?" asked Luke.

"Just looking around," she replied.

"Come on. Let's get going."

"So what's the story, then?" asked Clyde. "Is this place haunted, or what?"

"I don't know. But there's something about it here I don't like."

The manageress watched them leave. So did the nun hiding behind a tree.

* * *

Alan knocks on the open door. "What's the problem?"

"She doesn't like me seeing Sarah Jane, Jenny and Luke. Like she knows anything about them!" shouted Maria.

"Oh, don't worry. We'll be back to normal in a few days."

"You mean she'll be back with Ivan."

"If he doesn't see sense and do a runner while she's gone," Alan replied, sitting next to her.

"Doesn't it bother you?"

"Maria, your mum and me… You know that's all over."

"Well, that's great for you, isn't it? Some solicitor gives you a bit of paper and it's all over! But what good is that to me, Dad? She's always going to be my mum!"

"I know that. Of course she is, sweetheart."

"Well, maybe I want her to get to know my friends so she doesn't think they're weird anymore. And maybe I don't want her to go with Ivan. But that's never going to happen, is it? Because you've got a bit of paper!"

* * *

The manageress walked up to an Abbey–A far bigger building than any modern Order would even try to maintain. She knocked on the door and a nun opened it.

"I've come to see Sister Helena."

* * *

Clyde, Luke, and Jenny followed Sarah Jane into the attic.

"Mr. Smith, I need you!"

"Yes, Sarah Jane. What can I do for you?"

"The Lavender Lawns Rest Home is apparently being haunted by a nun. I need you to access Central Land Registry database for me. See if there's anything historically to support the possibility."

"Of a haunting?"

"Just run the check, Mr. Smith."

Jenny sat on the couch and pulled the talisman out from her bag.

"Very well."

"Doesn't Mr. Smith believe in ghosts?" asked Clyde.

"Not as such," replied Sarah Jane. "And neither do I."

"There is no record of any past ecclesiastical building on the site of Lavender Lawns," Mr. Smith informed the group.

"So no obvious reason for the home to be haunted by a nun, then?"

"I assume that by haunting you mean the projection of energies imprinted on psychic-assimilating matter."

"Obviously."

Clyde looked at Sarah Jane. "Come again?"

"Events get recorded on their surroundings, then, under certain circumstances, they get played back," Luke explained.

"Sarah Jane," started Mr. Smith. "Are you aware that Jenny has brought an unidentified element of alien technology into the attic?"

"What?" The three turned to look at her. She stood and showed them the talisman.

"Whoa, Jenny! No way did that come off the Shopping Channel."

"Give it to me, Jenny." Jenny carefully put the talisman in Sarah Jane's outstretched hand.

"One of the residents, Mrs. Nelson-Stanley, gave it to me," explained Jenny. "She said I had to keep it a secret. Sorry, I should have told you."

"That's alright." Sarah Jane put the talisman on Mr. Smith's scanner. "Mister Smith, is it safe?"

"Insufficient data. I'd like to carry out a detailed analysis."

Maria stalked in, slamming the door behind her.

Sarah Jane turned to her. "Do you mind? There's a lot of sensitive equipment in here."

"Sorry." Jenny picked up on the down tone of Maria's voice. "So, what's going on?"

"Some old biddy's given Jenny an alien gizmo," responded Clyde.

"She said the nun wasn't a ghost and now it's looking for the talisman," added Jenny.

"Well, I'd better go back and talk to Mrs. Nelson-Stanley." She got her coat and turned to Maria. "Do you want to come with me?" Maria nodded. "You three stay here."

"But she gave it to me," protested Jenny.

"And I brought you in on this," added Clyde, "it's like, my case."

"No arguments!" She turned to Maria. "Are you all right?"

"Mum's back."

* * *

Chrissie paced around Maria's room. "It isn't like my Maria to go running off like this. She never used to be such a drama queen."

"No, thank goodness," muttered Alan. "That's another gene she managed to give the slip."

"She'll be over there, won't she? With that Sally Jane."

"We all need a friend, Chrissie. You've got your salsa teacher."

"There's nothing going on with Carlos. I'm not stupid. I've got too good a thing going on with Ivan."

"And you hadn't with me and Maria?"

"Oh look, Alan. If you want to pick a fight over dirty old laundry, do it some other washday. I'm too worried about our daughter."

"Oh, you're worried now?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means, why didn't you stop and think before you dumped yourself on us today like nothing had ever happened? It isn't your home, Chrissie. You took our home apart six months ago. Showing up like that, with your bags… It has consequences."

* * *

The Manageress updated the Nun, Helena, as they walked down the Abbey hall.

"And you're sure it was the talisman?" asked Helena.

"Absolutely," replied the manageress. "I saw her give it to the girl.

"Why would she give it to the girl unless she knew we were looking for it? You told us she barely knows her own name."

"I know where you can find the girl."

She handed over Sarah Jane's business card.

"All the same, we have paid you well for your assistance, Mrs. Gribbins, but this just complicates everything. The Abbess will want to see you."

"The Abbess?"

Helena snapped her fingers and two other nuns escorted Mrs. Gribbins away to a room and left. Mrs. Gribbins turned to see an old nun whose veil covered her face. Mrs. Gribbins cleared her throat, and hands with long curled nails lifted the veil. Mrs. Gribbins screamed.

* * *

Mrs. Randall led Sarah Jane and Maria up into Bea's attic bedroom. There were lots of old framed photographs around.

"Poor Bea, she can't really tell you anything, Miss Smith. It's the Alzheimer's, you know. Such a tragedy after the life she led."

"She's been everywhere." Maria picked up a picture of Bea and a man. "Was this her husband?"

"Archaeologist, so the nurses reckon. They went all over the world together."

"What happened to him?" asked Sarah Jane.

"He died about five years ago. Bea started to lose it after that. That's when she washed up here."

"The talisman!" Maria showed Sarah Jane the picture of Bea with her husband in front of the Sphinx. Bea is wearing the talisman in the photograph.

"Talisman?" asked Mrs. Randall. "I thought you wanted to talk to her about the ghost."

Bea entered.

"Bea, you've got visitors."

"Do I know you?" asked Bea. "I'm sorry, these days I'm not very good with faces."

"This is Miss Sarah Jane Smith," introduced Mrs. Randall. "She's a reporter."

"Oh! Oh, well, it's my husband you want to talk to, then."

"No, it's you I need to talk to, Bea." Sarah Jane showed Bea the picture of her and her husband in front of the Sphinx. "Can you tell me where you got this talisman?"

"That's my Edgar."

"Your husband?" asked Sarah Jane.

"Yes. He used to say the Sontarans were the silliest-looking race in the galaxy."

Sarah Jane paled. "What did you say?

"She's always going on about monsters and spacemen…" commented Mrs. Randall.

"She's seen Sontarans!"

"What's a Sontaran?" asked Maria.

"The silliest race in the galaxy!" responded Bea. "That's what Edgar used to say. Like a huge… potato with a ray gun. Quite nasty blighters they were, all the same."

"Oh, yes, Bea, they are! You're right! You're absolutely right."

"You shouldn't encourage her, Miss Smith," said Mrs. Randall. "She'll go on and on about monsters, and especially the Gorgon. I saw that years ago at the flicks with Christopher Lee and er, Barbara Shelley."

* * *

Sister Helena rang the doorbell of number 21 Bannerman Road. Luke, Jenny and Clyde answered the door.

"Hello."

"Hello," greeted Helena. "I'm Sister Helena from St Agnes's Abbey. And who might you be?"

"He's Luke, she's Jenny, and I'm Clyde."

Helena spoke directly to Jenny. "So, you must be the fine young lady who was at Lavender Lawns today, and left with a gift from one of the old ladies."

"We don't know what you're talking about," Clyde cut in.

"How do you know she gave Jenny anything, anyway?" asked Luke. "She wouldn't have told you."

"Can it, Luke," muttered Clyde.

"Why are you hunting through the old people's home looking for talismans?"

"Luke!" Jenny put her hand over Luke's mouth.

"Children, you don't understand what you've got your hands on."

"Well, you're not getting your hands on it, either!" shouted Jenny.

"Give me the talisman!"

Alan chose that moment to walk up. "Hello, Sister. Collection, is it?"

"Abbey roofs don't fix themselves. That's one miracle we're still working on."

"Well, I always give to needy causes." Alan got out his wallet and pulled out some money. "You could say it's a good habit of mine." Helena took the money and left. Alan turned to the kids. "I was after Maria. She was a bit upset earlier. You haven't seen her, have you?"

"She's gone out with Sarah Jane."

"Look, do me a big favor, will you? When they get back, just tell her I was looking? Please."

"Of course."

"Cheers."

As Alan walked away, Jenny pulled Luke around so that he was looking at her. "Listen, Luke. When weirdo nuns turn up on your doorstep asking about glowing alien gizmos, the one thing you never do is tell them we've got one."

"I didn't. We should call Mum and tell her what happened."

"We should go round there," suggested Clyde.

"Isn't phoning quicker?"

Jenny rolled her eyes. "Sure. We _could_ phone. Or we could go round there and get back in on the action, yeah?"

Jenny ushered the boys out the door as she shut and locked it behind her. Helena watched them leave, sitting in the passenger seat of a hearse.

* * *

Maria pulled Sarah Jane to the side. "So, if Bea's wearing the talisman and it's alien and she's seen these Sontarans, then she isn't just talking about a bunch of old horror movies, like Mrs. Randall thinks, is she?"

"Aliens have been coming to Earth for centuries, Maria. Now, maybe Bea's adventures with her archaeologist husband involved a lot more than just old pots and bones."

Bea put an old LP on the record player. "This was our song. Edgar had such a lovely voice."

"Did he?" asked Sarah Jane. "I'm sure he was quite a man."

"It's so sad," murmured Maria. "The things she must have seen. And now everyone just thinks she's crazy."

"Yeah, well, who knows where any of us will end up?" She turned to Bea. "But someone doesn't think you're crazy, do they, Bea? Someone knows what the talisman is and they want it."

Bea turned around with a panicked look. "The talisman?"

"Yes, Bea, the talisman. Tell me what you know. I promise I'll believe you. Sometimes people have thought I've been mad. But I've seen things too. Just like you."

"Edgar unearthed it in a dig in…" Bea shut her eyes in concentration. "In Syria. And he gave it to me. He had no idea what it was. He had no idea."

"So, what is it?" asked Maria.

"They mustn't find it! They mustn't find it!"

"Who, Bea? Who do you mean?"

"The Sisters!"

"The nuns?"

"They protect _her_."

"Protect who?"

Bea gave a frightful gasp. "The Gorgon."

* * *

Maria sat on Sarah Jane's couch as the older woman took a book from the top shelf.

"It's all in here, I know it is." Sarah Jane sat next to Maria and showed her the book.

"A Gorgon. All snakes for hair and turning people to stone by looking at them. It's a fairy story, isn't it?"

"A myth. A Greek myth. There's a big difference. And incidentally, for future reference, Maria, even some fairy tales have a foundation in fact. Here it is."

Maria read. "There were three Gorgons, the hideous daughters of Phorcys, the sea god and Ceto."

"Stheno, Euryale and Medusa. That's right. But in some versions of the story there was just one. Medusa. And she wasn't always ugly. She was a beautiful nymph with golden hair, but Poseidon fell in love with her and jealous Athena turned her into a Gorgon."

Maria kept reading. "Medusa was killed by Perseus as a challenge."

"The Greeks were always dishing out challenges to each other. I think it must be a man thing. But this one really had to be a tough call. Warrior after warrior had tried to slay the Gorgons, but all of them turned to stone."

"Because they had to look at them to kill them," Maria finished.

"Perfect defense mechanism. Once you laid eyes on a Gorgon, there was no escape. You couldn't run, you couldn't attack. Your body was already turning to stone. And there was nothing you could do to stop it. One glance was all it took. Terrifying."

"Does Bea believe Gorgons actually existed?"

"I think she believes one still does."

* * *

Helena's hearse screeched round the corner and stopped near the path Luke, Jenny and Clyde are walking along.

"Oh no," muttered Jenny, "it's Sister Sinister again."

Helena got out of the hearse with a few other nuns. "Don't run away, Jenny. I won't hurt you. I just want to have a little chat."

"What about?" asked Jenny, taking a step forward.

Clyde pulled her back. "Don't listen to her. No way is she really a nun."

"Whatever else would I be?" questioned Helena.

"I don't know. But I bet you ain't got legs under them robes. Just a bunch of slimy tentacles or something."

Helena rolled her eyes and turned to Jenny. "Your friend watches too much TV. I think perhaps we could talk a little more sensibly without him. Jump in the car. We'll go to the abbey."

Jenny shook her head. "I don't think so."

"You're safe with me."

"We're not going anywhere with you," Luke said, stepping in front of Jenny.

"It's not an open invitation." Helena pushed Luke aside and wrapped her arms around Jenny's shoulders. "Listen to your friends here and you will be in far more danger, I guarantee. But I can help you. I want to help you."

"The talisman's dangerous?"

"More than you can imagine."

She pushed Jenny into the hearse.

"No way! Jenny!"

Two other nuns threw Clyde and Luke on to the grass. Jenny beat on the back window as the nuns locked the doors then drove away.

"Luke! Clyde!"

Clyde and Luke chased after the car, but it was too fast. The hearse rounded the corner as Jenny let out one last cry.

_"Help!"_

* * *

"So it's an alien?" asked Maria.

"Remember what I said? Aliens have been coming here for hundreds of years. Thousands."

"And one's survived all this time?"

"Yeah, perhaps."

"But how can it turn people to stone just by looking horrible?"

Sarah Jane chuckled. "Well, I doubt that's quite how it works." Her mobile phone rang. "Hello?"

"Jenny, she's been taken by the nun!"

"What?"

Sarah Jane drove to meet Clyde and Luke halfway.

"I warned her not to talk to that freaky nun!" yelled Clyde. "I tried to stop her. But just happened so fast. They pulled up and bam!"

"Clyde, just calm down."

"She was after the talisman."

"Where's she taken Jenny? Any idea?"

"I don't know. She was from some abbey."

"Well, obviously, she's a nun, Clyde! Think, which one?"

"I'm trying to! I don't know. Some old woman's name... Like the lady writer. The old lady detective."

"Miss Marple?"

"No."

"Agatha Christie? St Agatha?"

"Agnes!" shouted Luke. "St Agnes' Abbey!"

"Get in the car!"

* * *

Sarah Jane pulled up to the abbey. She got out of the car and knocked on the door, selecting a fake ID. She picked one and the door opened.

"Oh, hello, my name is Felicity Barnes. I'm doing a story for the Times on religion in the twenty-first century. Is there anyone I can talk to? Oh, perhaps Sister Helena?"

Sarah Jane pushed her way in. When the abbey door closed, Maria, Luke and Clyde crawled out of the back seat of the car, where they were hiding from view.

* * *

Inside, the nun led Sarah Jane to a beautiful library. The nun left and shut the door behind her. Sarah Jane went over and tested the handle.

"So much for fake ID."

* * *

Maria, Luke and Clyde snuck around the building until they found an open window. They crawled inside and started walking down the corridor.

"Now what?" asked Luke. "Where do we go?"

"I don't know," responded Maria. "What do nuns do with kids they kidnap?" She saw a door and stopped. "Let's start here."

Maria was about to open the door when Clyde stopped her. "Hold on. What if it's in there? This Gorgon thing."

"Just keep your eyes closed and hold my hand." Maria held out her hand. Clyde scoffed and opened the door. Inside the room they found a statue of the Manageress in the pose she struck when the old nun raised her veil. The other door opened, and they turned to see the old nun.

* * *

In the library, Sarah Jane was reading up on the Gorgon when Jenny walked in.

"Jenny!" Sarah Jane put the book back and went over to the younger girl. "Oh, are you all right?" They hugged.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Sarah Jane pulled back. "So, what do you think you're doing, getting into a stranger's car? For an intelligent girl, sometimes… Oh, I can't believe how stupid you are!"

"It's not like I just got in!" retorted Jenny.

"Jenny was never in any danger, Miss Smith." The two turned to see Helena. "But it seemed that bringing her here was the fastest way of attracting your attention. Although your other three young friends were a surprise." Helena snapped her fingers, and Clyde, Luke and Maria were marched in.

"We found Mrs. Gribbins."

"She's been turned to stone."

"Unfortunately," said Helena, "Mrs. Gribbins always was something of a useless old fossil."

"Are you really protecting a Gorgon here?" asked Sarah Jane.

"A creature with writhing serpents for hair? Those melodramatic Greeks. They never could resist embellishing a story. But yes, as you've seen, the myth isn't entirely without foundation."

The veiled woman was brought in, hissing.

"But it's an alien. Right?" asked Maria.

"The Gorgons travelled to our world three thousand years ago. Once there were three. Now only one."

"A real live Gorgon?"

"Generations of our Sisters have served to protect the Gorgons down the centuries."

"If she's survived three thousand years, what happened to the other two?" asked Jenny.

"One was killed during ancient days, when our sisterhood served Demeter, when the key was stolen."

"The key to whatever brought the Gorgons to Earth," finished Sarah Jane. "And the Sisters have been searching for it ever since. Or did you get close once, Sister Helena? Maybe fifty years ago? Was that when the second Gorgon died?"

"Professor Nelson-Stanley and his meddlesome wife. But you have the key now, Miss Smith. I'm sure you will be more reasonable."

"I wouldn't bet on it. Kidnapping, turning people to stone? No, no, not the kinds of things that make me feel reasonable."

"Sarah Jane, three thousand years is a long time, even for a being with a Gorgon's lifespan. She is old. The talisman opens a portal to the Gorgon's world. She only wants to go home to die. You can understand that, can't you?"

"Why should I believe you?"

"Miss Smith, you have no choice."

"All right. We'll get it." Sarah Jane walked toward the door.

"The boys stay here."

Sarah Jane stopped and spun around. "No!"

"They'll be perfectly safe… As long as you don't try to deceive us."

* * *

Outside Sarah Jane's house, the nuns helped the Gorgon out of the hearse.

"We can't give them the talisman," whispered Maria.

"I know that," Sarah Jane whispered back. "But at least we're on my territory now, not theirs."

"We are," agreed Jenny. "But they've still got the boys."

Helena grabbed Maria by the shoulder as they were about to walk in. "This one stays with me." Sarah Jane and Jenny nodded and went upstairs. "Move."

Sarah Jane shut the door to the attic after Jenny entered.

"I'm sorry, analysis incomplete," informed Mr. Smith.

"Shush! Keep your voice down!" whispered Jenny.

"Is this because I'm picking up a hostile alien intelligence within the house?" he asked in a low voice.

"Yes," Jenny said as she picked up her sonic pen from the table, "and it's about to meet another one."

Maria looked at the Gorgon.

"Doesn't she speak English?"

"The Gorgon doesn't need to speak," responded Helena.

"You mean she's telepathic? Is that how she controls you? I mean, looking after a Gorgon isn't exactly normal for a bunch of nuns, is it?"

"I'd shut up if I were you, or the Abbess might show you her idea of solving a problem like Maria."

Sarah Jane and Jenny walked in. Jenny had the talisman in her hand. "Is this what you've spent three thousand years looking for?" she asked.

"The key to the portal!"

Jenny held up her sonic pen and turned it on.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Either you let the boys go, or I will destroy the talisman with sonic disruption."

"I warned you. Now look on the face of the Gorgon and feel your flesh turn to stone!" The attendant nuns raised the Abbess's veil.

Sarah Jane looked from Helena to Maria, who was looking at the Gorgon. "No, don't look, Maria!"

Jenny clenched her fist around the talisman's chain and stared directly at the Abbess.

"Hello?" Alan opened the lounge door. "The door was open…"

"Dad, get out!"

Energy from the Abbess's eyes and mouth circled Alan and Jenny, turning them to stone.

"Dad!

"Jenny!"

* * *

_NEXT TIME…_

_"We have the key! Rejoice, sisters, the Gorgon shall be free!"_

_"Ooh, Mother Abbess!"_

_"She is weakening. We must open the portal as soon as possible."_

* * *

_"It's killed all these people, then put them on show. Like trophies."_

* * *

_"The Gorgon has turned my father and my best friend into stone. Is there a way to save them?"_

_"The Talisman. It is the key to the door between this world and theirs. It returned me to flesh and blood."_

* * *

_"Have you got it? There's loads of them. They're everywhere!"_

_"Serve the Gorgon. Serve the Gorgon."_

* * *

_"And the Gorgons have chosen a new host to lead its domination of Earth. You, Miss Smith."_

* * *

**(walks back into the light) ****So there's chapter 5. D****id you like my little turn of events? I was kinda debating with myself to make Jenny turn to stone but I'm sure that this will play out nicely. Or will it? (insert evil laugh here) The next chapter will probably be my Easter chapter. So that will be up hopefully on the 20th. It might be later because I'm a procrastinator and I haven't started it yet. Sorry! ;) Just kidding, no I'm not. Also, for the next real chapter I need 5 new reviews so go ahead and do that.**


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